Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!massey.ac.nz!AChamove
From: AChamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Bees on vacation
Summary: Bees
Message-ID: <990@massey.ac.nz>
Date: 14 Sep 90 03:55:04 GMT
References: <1075.26E7DC9A@ofa123.fidonet.org> <4300@trantor.harris-atd.com> <1990Sep12.194100.13795@cbnewsi.att.com>
Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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When the weather turns cold, you can see lots of dead bees at the
entrance to a hive. PResumably a lot of bees just die. The books say that
the males (drones) are evicted from the hive and consequently die.

The rest of the bees stay in the hive and live off the honey they have
stored just for this time (or off the sugar+water that bee keepers give
them when they remove the honey). They stay in a tight ball, vibrating
their wings to generate heat, and maintain their little ball at about 80
degrees if I recall correctly.
That is where bees go in the winter: stay at home and watch TV.
arnold