The Winter Bee

Here's the latest “Winter” bee update:   With the outside temperature this past week around 50° and above in Banner Elk, the bees have been outside the hive taking their cleansing flights. The “winter” bee is produced at the end of the summer with its sole purpose to make sure the colony survives until spring. Naturally they will have fatter bodies to hold more food to nourish them during the winter. Also brood productions stops when the winter bees have been hatched.  A “winter” bee will live much longer (4 to 6 months) than a summer bee (45 days) and just like human-bee-ins; I know they are ready for spring.