Grouse Mountain Bees Migrate to Langley for the Winter
Posted by Devin Manky October 27, 2015
Last week we moved our 15 bee hives from the top of the mountain out to a lovely farm site in Langley. Our bees will spend the winter months here where it is warmer and where food will be available earlier in the spring.
Once conditions on Grouse become favorable (and all of our massive amounts of snow from this winter melt!) the bees will be returned to their mountaintop apiary to work on honey production up top.
Bees do not hibernate for the winter, but rather cluster around the queen to keep her warm. Special 'fat workers' are born in the fall that can survive for several months instead of the usual 6 week life span. These bees maintain the queen and ensure she survives to lay eggs for more brood in the springtime.
The cluster of bees will move throughout the hive eating the stores of pollen and honey for sustenance. On sunny winter days, when temperatures begin to rise, the bees will even leave the hive to stretch their wings and eliminate waste and remove dead bees from inside the hive.
We're wishing our ladies a successful winter period and can't wait to get them back on hill next year!
Check out a few photos from the move below!
