Special BEE Hive Cozies for Winter

Honey bees do not sleep in the winter. They cluster together in a ball, eating honey and shiver their flight muscles to generate heat. 'Winter bees' are laid in the fall. They are fed a special diet that doesn't have much pollen protein. This pollen-scarce diet lets the winter bees develop extra large 'fat bodies'. This helps regulate their metabolism, producint an amazing substance that enhances their imune system and causes them to live longer - six months instead of six weeks. 

To help protect the bees against the cold, BEE Keepers will wrap the hives with a black insulated BEE Cozy that gives thermal protection to the hive and can absorb heat from the sun. The roof of each hive is also insulated to the warm air that the bees create from shivering their flight wings does not condense on the inner cover and drip down on the bees. They have small upper and lower entrances so air can circulate and prevent the buildup of moisutre. When snow covers the hives, it creates extra insulation. The heat from the hives melts the snow around it and create an air space. 

From Geesbees

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