Have Your Bees Died From Cold or Starvation?

Despite the widespread belief that cold weather is what kills honey bee colonies during winter, research has revealed this isn't always necessarily the case. In actuality, it's usually a much more intricate combination of factors such as starvation or lack of access to food resources. Therefore, explaining why colonies die in winter cannot be attributed to just one single cause alone.

A large number of bees but no food

There is nothing more disheartening than witnessing a colony succumb to starvation with dead bees piled high in the hive, crowded around each frame and even blanketing the bottom board. Inevitably one wonders: did these little creatures die of cold or from lack of sustenance? It's likely that once they had no food left, their bodies were unable to maintain sufficient warmth for survival. Ultimately, it was both - death by cold and starvation intertwined.

An age-old debate persists: when an aircraft runs out of fuel and crash lands, do the passengers perish due to the destruction caused by impact or because of running out of gas? It's a difficult question with no single answer. Though it is true that without depleting its supply of fuel, there would have been no collision, conversely seemingly harmless lack of fuel was not responsible for any fatalities; rather it was inflicted upon them through sheer force.

Honeybees are remarkable when it comes to maintaining warmth. Whenever you encounter a dead colony, the question that should be asked is this: “Could providing nourishment have saved them?” To me, the answer seems clear; if there was an obvious lack of food as the source of their demise, then sadly they starved. It's just like running out of fuel in an aeroplane - once all sources are exhausted, even wizards cannot remain standing strong.

Bees in critical numbers

On a cold winter's day, small and unhealthy bee colonies are in serious jeopardy as they lack the necessary bodies to produce enough heat for survival. To guarantee that your bees have optimum warmth, you must make sure their health is top-notch - this involves considering factors such as climate, weather conditions, hive type, genetics of the colony etc. Although it may seem impossible at first glance; I've personally seen colonies no bigger than baseballs thrive during chilly days when all other parameters were ideal.

Alternatively, if the colony lacks a substantial population of healthy and well-nourished bees, all chances for survival are jeopardized. If it is already suffering from an illness or parasite infestation, malnutrition, lack of queen bee presence or due to its genetics being unsuitable for the environment - then no amount of feeding, protecting measures and nurturing can help save them. Therefore health should be a priority when preparing them against cold weather conditions.

The last straw

When you observe dead colonies, it's easy to assume that the cold weather killed them, but what really caused their demise may be something else entirely. Just as passengers aboard an aeroplane are doomed from the moment when it runs out of fuel during a crash, so too can bees succumb to unseen circumstances. To guard against future disasters like this, we must seek to understand what actually led up to these tragic events.

If a bee colony is healthy, with easy access to food sources and of suitable size, then it should be able to regulate its own temperature. Before deciding on an overwintering strategy for the colony, one must ask why the colony is so small in size. It could simply have been caused by a late swarm or split and may be fine otherwise; if that's true, you need strategies for keeping the small-sized hive warm — think of it as giving them some extra TLC!

Analyzing the causes

If a colony is mysteriously small, it could be an indicator that the bees are not healthy enough to survive winter. It's often thought that cold temperatures have killed off hives when in fact this was just part of their struggle - many colonies suffer from illnesses or pests and lack sufficient numbers to keep themselves warm. Despite offering extra food resources, if the hive falls ill then it won't matter as no amount of nutrition can revive them; especially with fewer workers left to generate warmth for the colony.

Rather than perpetually debating over whether a bee's death was caused by the cold or starvation, it is far more important to analyze why your bees were so exposed in the first place. By reflecting on these questions and making modifications to your technique as needed, you will become an even better beekeeper!