A honey bee hive does not normally die in winter. A healthy colony is built to live through the cold months, and most of the colony’s work in winter is staying warm and eating stored honey. That said, some colonies do fail, and the reasons are mostly well understood.
Short answer
The colony survives; most of the individual summer bees do not. Summer workers live only a few weeks, but bees raised in late summer and autumn, often called winter bees, live much longer and keep the colony going until new bees can be raised in spring.
What happens to honey bees in winter
Honey bees do not hibernate. When temperatures fall, they pull into a tight group called the winter cluster around the queen. Bees in the middle shiver their flight muscles to generate heat, and bees take turns moving between the cooler outer layer and the warmer centre. The colony burns stored honey for energy. Read more about this in bee hive temperature in winter.
Other changes in winter:
- Drones are usually evicted in autumn, since they are not needed over winter.
- Brood rearing slows and in many climates pauses for a time, then restarts as days lengthen, often in late winter.
- Flight stops in cold weather, though bees may take short cleansing flights on mild days.
Why some hives do die
When colonies fail, common causes include:
- Starvation. Not enough stored honey, or a cluster that cannot reach food because it is too cold to move.
- Varroa mites and associated viruses, which weaken winter bees.
- Moisture. Condensation that drips onto the cluster can chill it, and damp can also cause mold in the hive.
- A weak or failing queen (queenless colonies), or a small colony, which cannot generate enough heat or replace bees.
- Disease or pests, including mice entering the hive (see insects and animals that kill honey bees).
Often several of these factors combine. Our winter preparation checklist addresses each of them.
Signs of a dead or struggling colony
On a mild day, a quiet entrance is not proof that the colony has died, since bees may simply be clustered. Signs worth investigating:
- No sound or activity at all over several mild days
- Large numbers of dead bees at the entrance, or bees head-first in empty cells
- Droppings or signs of dysentery on the front of the hive
- Mouse damage
If you must open the hive to check, do it briefly on a milder day. If bees are dead, a closer look at the cause (starvation, mites, moisture) can help you avoid repeating the loss. Remove dead-out equipment and protect it from robbing and pests.
What beekeepers can do
- Treat for varroa in late summer and confirm numbers are low.
- Make sure stores are sufficient, and add emergency food if needed.
- Reduce space, remove the queen excluder and manage ventilation.
- Protect the entrance from mice and wind.
If a colony is starving in late winter, feeding fondant or dry sugar over the cluster can help. In spring, see spring feeding for honey bees.
Do bees come back to the same hive every year?
The colony does; the same bees do not, because individual bees turn over. A surviving colony is the same family continuing in the same box; see how long a hive lasts. A colony that has died will not be replaced automatically by returning bees.
Wild colonies and honey bees “going away on their own”
Honey bee colonies living in trees or wall cavities can survive winters, but many do not, and they face the same threats. A colony that has died will not come back by itself. If you have bees in a structure, a local beekeeper or removal service can advise.