Do honeybees hibernate?

Do honeybees hibernate? A question we get asked often this time of year. Bees don't hibernate. They form a cluster inside the hive, to keep the queen, each other and early brood warm. They get the energy they need to keep up the inside temperatures from slowly consuming their honey stores. This is why we prefer to leave the bees lots of their own honey, to be sure they can get all the energy they need throughout the winter months. We also believe in better then average hiving. They are double skinned and well insulated so it makes it even easier for the cluster to keep the hive warm. For example this Warre hive has 4 centimetre thick walls and a box of insulation on top to help keep the warmth in. On warmer days, the bees will fly out briefly, to carry out dead bees and other debris from the hive and to defecate. Bees are good housekeepers 😊