How the Winter Solstice Affects Honey Bees

Most beekeepers focus on temperature in winter, but for the bees, daylight is the real game-changer. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, and from that point forward—even if it’s still freezing outside—the increasing daylight quietly shifts the entire colony.

A Subtle Signal with Big Impact

Bees don’t hibernate. They stay in a tight cluster, generate their own heat, and do everything they can to conserve energy. But once the days start getting longer, the bees know it. They sense the change long before we do.

Right after the solstice (typically December 21 or 22), the colony begins making slow, steady adjustments:

• The queen eases back into laying eggs.
• Workers start eating more honey to fuel brood rearing.
• The cluster becomes a little more active, especially on warm days.

It’s subtle at first, but this is the moment the colony begins shifting from “survival mode” to “spring prep.”

Why Day Length Matters So Much

Temperatures go up and down all winter. Bees can’t rely on that. But day length? That’s consistent. When the daylight starts inching forward, the colony treats it as a reliable sign that spring will return.

Even if it’s brutally cold in January, the bees are already preparing for the season ahead.

Brood Rearing Begins Again

Sometime after the solstice, the queen starts laying small patches of brood. That early brood is what grows into the workforce that will carry them into spring—and eventually make your honey crop.

But brood rearing comes with a cost:

More brood = more energy needed to heat the hive + more food

To raise brood, bees must:

• Keep the center of the cluster at 90–95°F
• Activate their glands for feeding larvae
• Consume significantly more honey and pollen

This is one of the biggest reasons colonies commonly starve in late winter, not early winter.

Cluster Behavior Starts to Shift

Before the solstice, the cluster stays tight and still.
After the solstice, it slowly becomes more active:

• They move around more to access honey.
• They take advantage of any warm days to break cluster briefly.
• They begin focusing energy inward toward brood care.

From the outside, it still looks like nothing is happening, but inside, the bees are working hard.

Not All Colonies Respond the Same

•       Strong colonies often start brood rearing earlier.
•      Weaker colonies may wait until conditions improve.
•      Some simply don’t have the bee numbers to keep brood warm yet.

Knowing which colonies fall into each category will help guide your winter decisions.

What Beekeepers Should Keep in Mind

This solstice shift has very real implications for our management:

1. Watch food stores closely

After the solstice, honey disappears faster. Emergency feeding can save colonies in February–March.

2. Avoid opening the hive during cold spells

There may already be brood in there. A quick cold blast can cause chilled brood—killing the brood.

3. Get ready for early buildup

Healthy colonies may start ramping up sooner than you expect, which means early splits or swarm prevention may be needed down the road.

4. Expect weather variances

Bees go by daylight. Weather does not. Sometimes that early buildup collides with late cold snaps.

In a Nutshell

The winter solstice quietly tells the bees:
“Hang tight—spring is on the way.”

They respond by slowly shifting gears, raising the first brood of the season, and ramping up activity long before any blooms appear. Understanding this natural rhythm helps us get our colonies through the tricky late-winter period and prevent issues before they start.

By Chari Elam