do bees hibernat(?)

[MikeyN.C.]

Do the workers,foraging bees,,,,live a lot longer in the winter

[Eric Bosworth]

Yes but they don't hibernate.

[BeeMaster2]

During the winter, bees keep the cluster warm using their wing muscles. They keep the center of the cluster as high as 95 degrees.
Jim

[MikeyN.C.]

But does the bee life time cycle,change ? ?

[Maggiesdad]

Yes -   http://scientificbeekeeping.com/colony-demography/\

Mr. Oliver had awesome informative articles on this in this year's Am Bee Journals

[BeeMaster2]

That is a great chart to show what happens throughout the year. I wish there was one just like it for this area.
Jim

[KeyLargoBees]

Agreed Jim...there is so little out there about Florida Beekeeping where we dont get a real winter....even less for me down here in the Keys. I am looking for all the info I can but there is so little in the way of traditional literature on how to deal with sub tropical climate where there really isn't a winter and we supposedly get a "light flow" from Nov to Feb from Brazilian Pepper.....I am just assuming the bees don't ever rest down here but slow down some......first year worries for me but I will muddle through and keep cutting out and catching swarms to cover my mistakes ;-)

[mtnb]

That is a great chart maggiesdad! Thanks for sharing. I learned some new word a few weeks ago that meant state of lethargy or something. It was describing the state of the bees in winter. It was a good word. Wish I could remember it. lol short word, starts with l or n maybe lol not torpid or repose ...shoot!  I found this link though and glad I did. Very useful! Anyway, Mr. Langstroth says: Bees are not, as some suppose, in a dormant, or torpid condition in Winter.  Langstroth on the Hive and the Honey-Bee  L. L. Langstroth
read on...

https://books.google.com/books?id=hLBlAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=Bees+are+not,+as+some+suppose,+in+a+dormant,+or+torpid+condition+in+Winter.++Langstroth+on+the+Hive+and+the+Honey-Bee++L.+L.+Langstroth&source=bl&ots=8gNUzfv1PA&sig=0Sf4zv2qeH1ffAeijMwt6Xg2fDg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAmoVChMI6_GKg6WXxwIVC9SACh0AywqM#v=onepage&q=Bees%20are%20not%2C%20as%20some%20suppose%2C%20in%20a%20dormant%2C%20or%20torpid%20condition%20in%20Winter.%20%20Langstroth%20on%20the%20Hive%20and%20the%20Honey-Bee%20%20L.%20L.%20Langstroth&f=false

[Colobee]

My understanding is that the life expectancy of foragers is greatly impacted by how much time is spent nursing ( larvae). Ask any parent out there - raising young is hard work!

The less time they spend nursing, the longer bees live. That is the reasoning given for why "winter bees" live longer than their summer counterparts. The queen slows or stops her laying during the "winter"- (again my understanding is that his has more to do with the length of sunlight in the day than the temperature of the season), and the "winter" bees live longer because they spend less time rearing fewer, or no, brood.

This is the reasoning behind the assertion that winter bees may live for ~6 months, while summer bees may live up to 6 weeks. It depends somewhat on the type of queen, and how long, or if, she stops or curtails egg laying.

As far as hibernating - that seems to have been adequately answered - no, not really.

[Wombat2]

Try The Bee Book - Beekeeping in Australia - writing for Queensland tropical and subtropical conditions http://www.honeybee.com.au/catalogue/books1.htm

[BeeMaster2]

Winter bees live longer because they are not wearing their wings out flying every day. During the summer bees wear their wings out flying. At some point, they are so tattered that they heave the hive with a empty stomach take on a full load and cannot make it back.
Winter bees use their wing muscles to heat thehive but the wings do not actually flat thus not wearing them out.
Jim