Putting the Bees To Bed: Wintering Saskatchewan Honey Bees

In late fall when the days start getting shorter and the ground starts freezing, is always when folks start asking me, how do honey bees get through our harsh Sasky winters? I’ll tell you this: they don’t hibernate! So how in the heck do they survive the deep freeze of the Canadian prairies? 

Bees have the best strategy to prep for winter honey shortages

We’ve already talked about how bees make honey, so how do they prepare for a period of no-honey-making? Bees do some pretty neat things to reduce their population when they sense the temperatures dropping and food sources (flowers) drying up. Besides producing honey and pollen all summer long to make enough to last the winter in the hive, they also respond by reducing their population size. By autumn, the colony shrinks to around half the size of the summer colony. They do this in two key ways:

1. The queen slows down her egg-laying, and fewer new bees are born.
2. Worker bees expel the male drones from the hive. Because they have already played their part in reproduction and they no longer offer anything to the hive’s maintenance or survival, removing the male drones conserves food stores for the queen and the worker bees who will survive the winter.

This is how they start preparing for winter—fewer mouths to feed mean resources last longer to maintain the hive until spring. 

Why honey bees need beekeepers to stay alive in Saskatchewan winters

Honey bees also adapt their behavior significantly in the cold months to conserve energy and stay warm. These strategies keep wild native honey bees alive in the winter at local climates honeybees are adapted to, such as in central Europe where the winters are milder than Canadian ones. Note: Saskatchewan does have native bee species, such as bumblebees, leafcutter bees, and other solitary bees, which have evolved to thrive in the local climate.

However, honey bees are an introduced species in Saskatchewan and across North America, meaning they aren’t native and never occurred naturally in this climate. Though not entirely impossible, it would be pretty tricky for honey bees to survive Saskatchewan winters without beekeeper’s help. Honeybees can survive short cold spells on their own, but the length and severity of Saskatchewan winters would stretch their limits without beekeeper interventions.

4 natural strategies used by honey bees to survive winter:

1. They make and store honey and pollen all summer. Farmed honey bees collect nectar and pollen during the warmer months and store honey for winter. Beekeepers may supplement the bees’ honey reserves with sugar syrup or other food sources to ensure they have enough energy to survive the winter.
2. The winter cluster formation. Just like wild bees, farmed honey bees instinctively cluster around the queen and vibrate their wings to generate and maintain heat. They minimize all other activity to conserve energy, only moving to access honey reserves as needed.
3. Fat-bodied winter bees. Colonies raise "winter bees" that live longer and store more fat. These winter bees are crucial to sustaining the colony during the cold months.
4. Propolis plugs. Honey bees collect and use propolis to seal cracks and gaps in the hive to keep out drafts. 

5 additional beekeeper interventions:

1. Extra insulation. Beekeepers often add insulation or wrap hives in materials to protect them from extreme cold and wind. This reduces the need for bees to manage the hive’s temperature and ventilation entirely on their own.
2. Extra feeding. In managed colonies, beekeepers may leave extra honey in the hive at the time of harvest, or feed the bees sugar syrup or protein patties to ensure they have enough food stores for the winter. Wild honey bees must rely entirely on what they’ve collected during the warmer months, but farmed bees get this safety net of food if necessary.
3. Managing moisture and ventilation. Moisture can be fatal to bees in cold weather, as it can cause them to freeze. To prevent condensation from building up inside the hive, beekeepers typically manage hives to ensure adequate ventilation, such as keeping the top or a small ventilation hole open.
4. Health checks for pests and disease. Beekeepers monitor for pests like varroa mites or diseases that could weaken or kill the colony during winter. Wild colonies must fend for themselves.
5. Protection from the elements. A beekeeper might place hives in locations that are protected from the elements such as out of direct wind or under shelter.

Human assistance is key in harsh Saskatchewan climates

Farmed honey bees still rely on many of their natural winter survival strategies, such as honey storage, clustering, and reducing activity. As apiarists we can boost thier chances of survival by giving them insulation, supplemental feeding, pest control, and overall hive management. Human assistance is key in harsh climates like Saskatchewan, where extreme cold and limited resources could be overwhelming for a colony left entirely to its natural defenses.

Sask made honey from well-wintered bees

The Kitako Lake honey bees are tucked in for a cozy winter with plenty of food and warmth to give them a good start as soon as spring comes! Our honey is available year round in retailers across the province and beyond! Check out our Store Locator to find the one nearest you.