Do bees stay in their hives in the winter?
Bees don’t hibernate, but they can’t fly outside if the air temperature is too low, so in the winter they have to stay in the hive. As the temperature falls the bees will cluster together on the combs forming a ball of bees. They generate heat by shivering their flight muscles (without moving their wings) and keep the centre of the cluster at about 36°C (95°F). As the bees on the outside of the cluster become chilled they will move in towards the centre.
