The hive's year

A hive has a yearly cycle, and the cycle is the language of beekeeping. These are the four seasons for a colony in a temperate climate (for example northern Europe or the northern United States). In other climates the dates move, and in the tropics the cycle follows rainy and dry seasons.

Spring: build-up. As flowers open, the queen lays more and more eggs and the colony grows from a few thousand bees to many thousands. Drones are raised. A crowded colony may begin to prepare to swarm (World 6).

Summer: the nectar flow. Foragers bring in large amounts of nectar, which is ripened into honey and stored in the upper part of the combs. This is the colony's peak, with the most workers of the year.

Autumn: getting ready. Flowers become scarce. The queen slows down her laying, the colony shrinks, and the workers push the drones out of the hive because they are extra mouths that would use up winter food. (In a healthy colony this is normal.)

Winter: the cluster. Bees do not hibernate. They stay in a ball, the winter cluster, around the queen. Bees on the surface of the ball press close together to keep the heat in, and the bees inside shiver their flight muscles to make heat. The fuel is honey. Bees on the outside and inside swap places so no one gets too cold. On a warm winter day bees may fly out briefly to relieve themselves and then return.

Winter bees are different. The workers raised in late summer and autumn are called winter bees. They are built to last: they have bigger fat stores in their bodies and do not wear themselves out foraging, so they live for several months rather than six weeks. They carry the colony through to spring and raise the first new brood of the year.

The colony's size across the year, from the small midwinter cluster to the large summer colony, is shown with the season slider in the scene. The pattern is more important than any single number:

Safety first. Honey bees defend their home. Never poke, knock or stand in front of a hive, a nest or a swarm. If you want to learn beekeeping, join a local beekeeping club and learn beside an experienced adult beekeeper. Anyone who has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or dizziness after a sting needs emergency help right away.