Some bees have no seasonal preferences and feed off a variety of flowering plants. Three of the most commonly encountered bees by homeowners are honey bees, carpenter bees and bumble bees. These bees usually become active in the spring with the warm weather and flowering of plants.
They remain active throughout the summer and into the fall. Cooling temperatures in the fall prompt them to prepare to overwinter. During the winter months their activity decreases to the point where they are not seen unless on a warm winter day.
Understanding bee seasons and the flower preferences of certain bee species could facilitate pollination and assist in both commercial and personal gardening. Life Cycle of a Bee. Just as individual bees reproduce, the colony must reproduce, too. Swarming is the reproduction of a honey bee colony , and it occurs when an existing colony subdivides into two colonies.
Swarming is essential to the bees' survival. If the hive becomes overcrowded, resources will be scarce and the colony's health will begin to decline. So every now and then, a bunch of bees will fly out and find a new place to live. When the colony gets too crowded, the workers will start making preparations to swarm. Worker bees tending to the current queen will feed her less, so she loses some body weight and is able to fly.
Workers will also start raising a new queen by feeding a chosen larva large quantities of royal jelly. When the young queen is ready, the swarm begins. At least half of the colony's bees will quickly leave the hive, prodding the old queen to fly with them.
The queen will land on a structure and workers will immediately surround her, keeping her safe and cool. While most bees tend to their queen, a few scout bees will begin searching for a new place to live.
Scouting may only take an hour or so, or it can take days if a suitable location proves difficult to find. In the meantime, the large cluster of bees resting on someone's mailbox or in a tree may attract quite a bit of attention, especially if the bees have alighted in a busy area.
Do Bees Eat Honey? How Do Bees See Flowers? Does Beeswax Melt? How Do Bees Communicate? How Do Bees Make Wax? What Honey Is Best for You? Do Honey Bees Migrate? Do Honey Bees Pollinate? Can Honey Ferment? Is Beeswax Biodegradable? How Is Beeswax Collected? What Crops Do Bees Like? Do Beeswax Candles Clean the Air? Contents What is the solution?
Getting ready for spring How do bees keep the hive warm? Source: Urban Pollinators. Source: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Skip to content. Pollinator Quest. User name. Log in. Forgot password? How and why do some pollinators migrate or hibernate? Questions to Consider: What is this pollinator group's pattern for migrating or hibernating when seasons change? How would understanding patterns of migration or hibernation help you help your pollinator species?
Hummingbirds Many species of hummingbirds spend the winter in Central America or Mexico. Questions to Consider: What is the hummingbird's pattern for migrating or hibernating when seasons change?
Bats The species of pollinating bats we find in North America are important pollinators of desert plants in the southwest United States and northwest Mexico. Questions to Consider: What is the bat's pattern for migrating or hibernating when seasons change? Bees Bee species do not migrate during the winter, instead choosing to hibernate.
Questions to Consider: What is the bee's pattern for migrating or hibernating when seasons change?
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