Do Queens Lay in Winter?

Does a Queen Bee Lay in Winter.

One of the biggest misunderstandings is wheter a queen lays in winter or not?

Do the winter bees actually live all winter? 5 months? 10 months in the north?

The answer is, yes, the queen be does lay small amounts of brood in the winter.

We changed our beliefs about bees and winter when we listened to a youtube lecture. Randy Oliver says he has worked in his hives in the snow This lead me to look for more information. Read: overwintering bees, by Randy Oliver.

Take a moment to read the page in that link.

This is a very controversial topic that is going to change how you look at your bees, how you manage them, and your hive survival rates.

So, instead of me giving you my opinion, I am going to list some of the resources that proved that queen bees lay in winter, why, and why you should be aware.

#1. What are winter bees? Winter Bees and Clustering Behavior Winter-bees_Part1.pdf.

#2 Brood Rearing in Winter. Mobus-1998-brood-rearing-in-winter-cluster.pdf

This paper also highlights the importance of condensation in the hives, as long as it isn’t dripping on the cluster.

Mobus-1998-winter-cluster-part-2.pdf

#3 Calgary Beekeeper’s THE THERMOLOGY OF WINTERING HONEY BEE COLONIES

#4 The Canadian Association of Apiculturists The Biology and Management of Colonies in Winter

#5 (PDF) Optimization of nest microclimate of bee families during winter period

While this one is not 100% about winter brood, it does cover how one small change in a hive can have a drastic impact on the bees.

It is interesting that this one, contradicts the paper above which highlighted the importance of moisture in the hive.

After reading these papers you should have some interesting points to ponder. If you are not ‘into’ research – then just skim to the bottom and read the conclusion section.

A Good Beekeeper is a Knowledgeable Beekeeper