Where Do Bees Go in the Winter?

 Where Do Bees Go in the Winter?

Overview: The article explores the winter survival strategies of different bee species based on their social structures. It categorizes bees into solitary, semi-social, and social groups, detailing how each group copes with the challenges of winter. The piece emphasizes the threats bees face, such as deadly pesticides, and highlights efforts to address issues like climate change, habitat loss, and harmful pesticide use.

Key Points:

1. Solitary Bees:

   • Over 75% of all bee species are solitary, including mason bees and carpenter bees.
   • Solitary bees follow two winter survival strategies: hibernation or a shorter lifespan without hibernation.
   • Bees in hibernation reduce their metabolism and survive off stored fat until spring, while others simply have shorter lifespans, dying within a year.

2. Semi-Social Bees:

   • Bees like bumblebees alternate between social and solitary stages of life.
   • Bumblebees hibernate alone, digging burrows underground, and later form colonies during warmer months, consisting of up to 200 bees.

3. Social Bees:

   • Social bees, like European honeybees, live in large colonies with a queen and thousands of worker bees.
   • Honeybee colonies use thermoregulation to survive winter, clustering together and generating body heat through shivering.
   • They huddle in a ball, staying warmer than the surrounding temperature, and survive on stored honey.
   • Social bees may also winterize their hives by sealing cracks with self-made glue.

4. Threats to Bees:

   • The article highlights common threats to bees, including deadly pesticides, climate change, and habitat loss.
   • Efforts are mentioned to address these issues, such as calling on corporations like Amazon to stop selling harmful pesticides and urging governments to plant more bee-friendly habitats.
   • Public engagement is encouraged, providing tips on creating gardens and yards safer for bees in spring.

The article serves as an informative piece on the diverse winter survival strategies of bees, underlining the importance of addressing environmental threats to their well-being.

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