Producers/Hosts: Hazel Stark and Joe Horn
Bees in Winter
Photos, a full transcript, references, contact information, and more available at thenatureofphenology.wordpress.com.
There are many adaptations that insects in cold climates employ to ensure the success of their species through a northern winter. Some leave only hardy eggs behind and count on their winter survival, with all adults dying off. Others tuck themselves away in protected areas, perhaps underground or behind some tree bark, and rely on their amazing capacity to produce their own kind of antifreeze so their cells don’t get damaged from sub-freezing temperatures. Honeybees and bumblebees, however, each do something quite different.
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