Robin brought up some fascinating matters concerning the winter cluster.
I'd like to add one, that may be implied by his comments, but isn't clearly
stated.

For years the assumption was that the bees rotated positions so those on the
outside could get warm.  In the past several years it has been discovered
that the bees pretty much stay where they start.  Imagine, in these frigid
climates that an animal as small as a bee can survive for 4 months or longer
at just above freezing, with nothing to eat (only those on the inner layers
below the 'crust' eat and shiver to create heat).  Shows how much we have to
learn about bees and how they survive.

When bees get temperatures warm enough to break their cluster and move the
bees in the layers DO change, but I recall that there is no massive
reorganization such as all those formerly on the inside moving out, etc.

AFAIK, Mark Winston was the first to describe the layers and the lack of bee
movement, but several have duplicated his data and observations.

Around here, there are those who have sufficiently selected bees for
overwintering that a 4-frame nuc in early November will have a teacup of
bees.  Maybe a fist full.  Come April there will still be 1 to 1.5 full
frames of honey, and lots of brood.  At dandelion bloom (May 15-20) they
will swarm if not given enough room.  These are dark bees, but more
gray/brown than black.  I suspect a great deal of Caucasian mixed with
carniolan.

Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturers of Ross Rounds Comb
Honey Equipment, Sundance Pollen Traps
and Custom Printer of Sundance Labels.

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