Winter Bees - how do I know I have them...

[HelenHP16]

I've noticed lots of reference to winter bees and as a new beek nervously heading into a first beekeeping winter I was wondering if there is any physical difference in these bees or are they just the ones that will be in the hive over winter? I still have lots of brood and lots of pollen going in - are they building winter bees at the moment?

 

[drstitson]

yes. yes. and yes.

 

[Skyhook]

yes. yes. and yes.

Or to put it another way- there are slight physical diffences of a more or less nutritional nature which you will not detect and do not need to. They are basically the last batch of bees- not having to feed larvae enables them to keep their youthful good looks.

.

 

[Poly Hive]

Not having to feed larvae....

A myth mainly.

PH

 

[REDWOOD]

Winter bees are easy to spot they have bobble hats on

 

[whoosling]

Glad you asked that because I would have soon

 

[madasafish]

You know you have winter bees because it's October.

 

[yeogi75]

Winter bees are easy to spot they have bobble hats on

and keep your eyes open for the xmas tree going in the entrance inch by inch

 

[oliver90owner]

You know you have winter bees because it's October.

Yes, well, maybe.

It depends on how long the autumn stretches out. Last year they were brooding winter bees into November and likely December. This year, if it continues as it has, will be different and they may well be there now.

Of course, winter bees brooded into December don't have to last as long as winter bees brooded in September, so there are 'swings and roundabouts' involved.

The requirement is lots of healthy bees, not violated by varroa while in the pupartion stage (so they would already be infected with all sorts of pathogens). With adequate stores, the bees will be fine in most circumstances.

 

[user 6228]

You know you have winter bees because it's October.

And I know its October because there are more bees foraging than I 've seen all year, flying from before 7am until 6.27 pm ...

 

[drstitson]

"Not having to feed larvae....
A myth mainly.
PH"

why do you say that PH?

the science supports the idea that normal worker development continues for 2-3 weeks post emergence. the end result is a winter bee.

Feeding deprives the worker of the benefits of a free and easy ride to longevity.

child labour is bad for (individual) bees.

 

[Cazza]

not having to feed larvae enables them to keep their youthful good looks.

.

Ah, that explains my lack of wrinkles.
Cazza

 

[jackbee]

There's an article in this month's BBKA News (pg 4) on winter bees, interesting!

 

[jackbee]

"Not having to feed larvae....
A myth mainly.
PH"

why do you say that PH?

the science supports the idea that normal worker development continues for 2-3 weeks post emergence. the end result is a winter bee.

Feeding deprives the worker of the benefits of a free and easy ride to longevity.

child labour is bad for (individual) bees.

The article mentioned above goes into this a bit - reckins it's to do with brood food production bei ng energy expensve

 

[drstitson]

compare a fresh faced 18 year old emerging into the world from boarding school and a tracksuited 18 yr old mother of 10 off an estate.

both should be fully developed and at their peak.

who's going to live longest?

 

[Poly Hive]

Because winter observations said that there is intermittent brood rearing through out the winter, and as many as 2lbs of bees are produced.

PH

 

[drstitson]

PH - 2lbs total bees raised over 3-4 months is only a fraction of that raised in peak peak season (when life expectancy is in fact 4 weeks - 2 in hives, 2 foraging). we've mentioned in other thread that a cup of bees = 1000.
queen lays 1000-2000 eggs peak per day. thats 1-2 cups of bees a day.

you could imagine it as being every bee having capacity to raise 21 larvae.

that could be 1 a day over 3 weeks or 1 a week over 21 weeks. end result is same - bee destined for forage and death.

 

[REDWOOD]

and keep your eyes open for the xmas tree going in the entrance inch by inch

glad someone has a sense of humor on a Monday evening

 

[Poly Hive]

Well aware of the figures. My calculator works too. LOL

I am pointing out that the party line on no brood in winter is rubbish.

PH

 

[drstitson]

"I am pointing out that the party line on no brood in winter is rubbish."

sure - last year in particular!

i'm betting that 30th/31st dec and 1st jan were the only days that most colonies had no capped brood.