How Do Bees Survive the Winter? A Detailed Guide to Bee Overwintering Methods

Bees are social insects, composed of individuals such as the queen bee, drones, and worker bees. They can brew sweet honey for people, so many beekeepers raise bees. So, how do bees survive the winter?

1. How do bees survive the winter?

A single bee cannot safely survive the winter; it must be a colony of bees. When overwintering, bees often huddle together in a ball, and the worker bees on the outermost layer flap their wings desperately to block out the cold outside and keep the temperature inside at around 13 degrees. When hungry, they feed on the honey collected in summer to maintain body heat. If the bees are artificially raised, it is necessary to do a good job of protection against cold, hunger, enemies, and vibration.

2. What should you do if you are stung by a bee?

Bees generally do not actively sting people. If you are stung, the stung area will be both painful and itchy. Do not scratch it with your hands, so as to avoid causing more severe itching and swelling. If the bee's stinger has pierced into the skin, you can try to remove the stinger, but do not squeeze the sting site. Afterward, apply ice to the sting site to reduce pain and swelling; you can also wash the stung area with soapy water. If severe redness and swelling, rash, fever, or difficulty breathing occur, seek medical attention promptly.

3. Why do bees die after stinging someone?

Bees will not easily use their stingers on people, because once they sting someone, they will die. This is because the bee's stinger is connected at the back to the venom gland and internal organs, and the tip of the stinger has several small barb-like hooks shaped like inverted teeth. When the bee's stinger pierces into human skin, the small barbs firmly hook onto the skin. When the bee pulls out the stinger, the stinger is pulled out together with part of its internal organs, so of course the bee will die.