There’s so much to look forward to every time spring rolls around. All of the flowering plant growth and warmer temperatures are exciting to many, but spring also comes with the resurgence of all kinds of insect populations around Illinois & Indiana. Some of the insects that we most heavily associate with spring are bees—as pollinators, they find their purpose facilitating plant growth that sustains them and countless other animals through the fall. But where do bees go in the winter? Read on to learn all about what happens to bees in the winter with Anderson Pest Solutions!
What Do Bees Do in the Winter?
If you usually have bees around your home during the spring and summer, you’ve probably noticed a significant or total lack of them come wintertime. You might be wondering: if there’s nothing around to pollinate, where do bees go in the winter? The answer actually depends on the bee species! Here are three ways that different bees in Illinois & Indiana handle the colder months of the year:
- Bumblebees: The sad reality of the bumblebee life cycle is that every bumblebee dies off when it gets too cold. However, the queen will overwinter by digging a hole in the dirt or finding a warm shelter in a bird’s nest, hollow log, or compost pile. Come spring, they have to build a new colony from the ground up again.
- Honey bees: While male honey bees die off in the winter, the female workers return to their hive to huddle around the queen, vibrating to keep warm through the winter and surviving off of the honey they collected in the prior months.
- Carpenter bees: These more solitary bees hibernate in abandoned nest tunnels during the winter. Their nests look like small, narrow holes bored into wooden structures.
How to Prepare for Bees During the Winter
Sometimes it’s nice to have bees buzzing around in your yard, but if you have too many on your property, they might look to build nests in the structures of your home or close enough to your door to be concerning. Here are some preventative measures you can take during the winter to keep bees out of your home in spring:
- Seal cracks around the outside of your house that could lead to your attic or inside your walls
- Choose to plant flowers further away from your home
- Keep your yard tidy to avoid overgrowth in your lawn or plants
- Fill any holes that animals dig in your yard that could be used as nesting sites for bees
- Keep lids, preferably sealable ones, on your outdoor trash and recycling bins
Need Help with Bee Control?
If you’re like the many other people who have been experiencing bee problems year after year in Illinois & Indiana, reach out to your local pest control company. Our bee removal experts at Anderson Pest Solutions can inspect your property during the winter to identify vulnerable areas that you’ve missed or come out during the warmer seasons to remove nests that are creating a dangerous environment on your property. For a free quote on stinging insect control, contact us today!
