02/17/2026
Great explanation written out in what might be happening in - or just out side - the honey bee hives this time of year.
Honey Bee Q&A: Bee Losses During the Winter, Feb 2026
NJBA member and EAS Master Beekeeper John Gaut has received several inquiries from NJ beekeepers who are concerned about seeing “a lot” of dead bees on the snow in front of their hive(s). Some bee loss is normal in winter. Also, the colony needs moisture for brood rearing and if the hive is too dry, bees will forage for water, sometimes perishing in cold conditions.
A healthy colony entering the winter usually has a population of 20,000–30,000 bees, although this can vary based on factors such as prior season's forage quality and mite management. Winter bees (diutinus bees) can live 150–200 days compared to 30–40 days for summer bees; however, colonies still experience natural attrition as older bees die off. In a healthy, average-sized colony, the daily death rate is approximately 200–250 bees. This is based on beekeeper observations and accounts of gradual population decline over the broodless or low-brood period.
Dead bees often accumulate inside the hive and are removed by undertaker bees on warmer days (above 50°F); this is a normal sign of colony health. Brood-rearing is minimal during winter in the Northeast due to cold temperatures, limited forage for pollen, and the colony's focus on survival. Colonies are often nearly broodless from late fall through mid-winter, with increased brood resuming in late winter as day length increases and early pollen becomes available. Emerging bees are correspondingly low. In late winter (late-February–March), queens resume laying small numbers of eggs (50–200 per day initially), leading to 50–200 emerging bees per day as the first brood cycles complete. Brood rearing ramps up if pollen is available but that carries a high starvation risk due to increased energy needs.
Total brood cells in a colony during winter might only be a few hundred at most. The rate of brood-rearing ideally is enough to replace the dying bees. Once the brood-rearing increases in March and April, the colony population will increase.
Some of the bees in the snow photo may be bees foraging for water. Hives that are not insulated and have an upper entrance can become very dry because both heat and moisture are vented out of the top entrance of the hive. This is problematic because the colony must maintain a tight range of temperature and humidity in the brood nest. Some bees “specialize” in retaining water in their honey crops as a “water reservoir” for the colony. These bees are often called “water-bottle bees.” Other bees in the colony will beg for water from these bees. Once the water-bottle bees deplete their water reserve, they forge for more water — often under very harsh conditions — because the colony is desperate for water. Some of these bees perish on the snow after they land, desperately trying to find any water for their colony. One of the benefits of a well-insulated hive without an upper entrance is that the hive loses less moisture and heat; additionally, the colony is less stressed, and the water-bottle bees do not need to go on dangerous missions as often.
Image 📷: A photo showing hundreds of dead honey bees on the snow-covered ground in winter.
