The implementation of the VFD has increased animal health pros’ apiary concerns. Angi Schneider writes about feeding bees in winter to help them survive. Unlike other insects, bees do not hibernate during the winter or lay eggs that overwinter and emerge in spring. They stay active all winter long.
Source: Countryside Daily, November 24, 2017.
Once temperatures reach about 55 degrees, bees cluster around the queen. The colder the temperatures get the tighter the cluster will become. They will shiver and flap their wings to increase the hive temperature to keep the queen warm at about 96 degrees. They rotate the duty of being on the outside so that everyone can have a chance to stay warm and not get worn out. It takes a lot of energy to shiver and flap wings to keep the hive warm. The cluster of bees will move around the hive and eat honey to fuel their warmth creating venture.