When the flowers fade, it is easy to wonder where bees go in winter. People sometimes write to Save The Bees USA after finding a carpenter bee in a shed and ask whether it needs help. A honey bee colony, a bumblebee queen and a solitary bee can spend the same cold spell in very different places.
Where bees go in winter depends on the species
Honey bees spend the coldest days together in their hive. The workers gather around the queen and use their flight muscles to generate heat. Stored honey supplies the energy they need. On a mild winter day you may still see a worker slip out of the hive.
Bumblebee queens wait for spring
In much of the United States, a bumblebee colony lasts for one growing season. Before winter, newly mated queens look for a sheltered spot, often just below the surface of the soil. The old colony dies. When the weather warms and flowers open, each surviving queen can look for a nest and start a colony of her own.
If you see a bumblebee on a cool day, the season and your local climate matter. A winter sighting in a mild area can look very different from one after a hard freeze. Explore the life cycle of a bumblebee.
What about the carpenter bee in the shed?
Some carpenter bees spend winter as adults inside tunnels in wood. Other solitary bees spend the cold months as young bees or as adults inside protected nest cells. Depending on the species, those cells may be in wood, a hollow stem or the soil. A bee that looks still in cold weather may be resting.
Where bees go in winter in your own garden
The flower bed can look empty while bees are still there. Leave a patch of undisturbed soil, a corner of fallen leaves and some standing stalks where it is practical. For example, a plugged stem may already hold a developing bee. Letting it stand gives that bee time to emerge. The University of Wisconsin’s winter bee guide illustrates several of these places.
When spring arrives, check the flowers that open first. Watching for the first queens and early solitary bees is a way to see how winter shelter connects to the next season. Find more garden observation activities.