What Do the Hackley Bees Do During the Winter?

Beekeepers Carlo Esannason ’97 and James Pratt ’97 wrap the hives with an insulated cover for the winter to help them control the internal hive temperature.

The apiary bees have entered their winter cluster formation, where they act as a living thermal blanket to keep the queen warm and alive till mid-February when she will start laying eggs again. The cluster can bring the inside temperature of the hive up to 90 degrees.