Winter bees on the farm:

Lately in the media it’s been trendy to talk about the plight of bees. But what do people really know about these mini pollinators called Apis Mellifera? First of all, we rely totally on bees for pollinating atleast 90 of our vegetable and fruit crops. And how many other farm critters have 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, 3 eyes on top of their heads and the ability to fly 6 miles? (No offense to cows)!

We’re truly infatuated with honey bees. We’re so obsessed we keep 5 hives on our green farm in the winter and 20 hives in the summer. In the winter they live inside their hives feeding off of the honey and pollen they collected during the warm summer months. As a matter of fact, winter bees are a little different than summer bees. Winter bees have fatter bodies than summer bees and their job is to help heat the hive through the winter. They live for 4-6 months whereas the summer bees only live for 45 days.

Farm Fact: Bees are exothermic (cold blooded) but together they’re endothermic (generate their own heat). When outside temperatures lower to 54 degrees the bees form a tight cluster within the hive and begin to shiver, generating heat for their queen. Talk about team work!

Honey bees can maintain a balmy 93 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of their hive cluster, even if it’s freezing cold outside! When the temperature reaches above 55 degrees outside the bees fly out of the hive to expell waste. This way they keep their hive sanitary.

Among other things, bees produce honey which contains essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and a brain strengthening antioxidant called pinocembrin. Honey bees make propolis, a resin they collect from tree sap. They use propolis to seal up gaps as small as 6 millimeters in their hives. For larger holes they use beeswax. Propolis is such an effective sealant that even rodents can’t get in! It’s also a tool the bees use to containerize any “trash” that’s too big for them to carry outside. People use propolis in everything from cough drops to musical instrument varnish.

On our green farm, we feed our bees extra in the winter. Bee feed consists of an organic sugar and water syrup. They need it when the crops haven’t flowered yet. We want them to have the best chance of survival when spring arrives and their brood expands. Some of our most effective cover crops are also favorite foods of bees- specifically red clover.