Silly Question About Bee Quantity

[DayValleyDahlias]

If queens slow way down in the Winter, and if the girls don't live very long...where did all the zillions of bees in the hives I have come from?

Cornfused, S

[Michael Bush]

Winter bees live as long as six months.  Summer bees only live six weeks.  It's a combination of the makeup of the bee (winter bees have more fat bodies and other anomolies) and the demands on them (summer bees have to work much harder).  Plus they will rear small batches of brood during the winter off and on.  This makes a few more young ones to keep things going.

[BjornBee]

So your asking where do bees come from?  :roll:

Not all queens shut down on the same scale. Some hives raise brood right through dearths and some hives may raise brood right through winter in warmer areas. This may be or may not be, a trait you want in some areas.

I agree with MB.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Well the living longer in Winter demystifies it all for me, and I thank you one and all...


Sharon