12/21/2025
Solstice is once again upon us and I'm finding myself under the weather and a bit uninspired. So, I am sharing one of my previous solstice posts to mark the day instead.
May you always find shelter and warmth with family and friends.
Happy solstice!
Happy Winter Solstice!
The winter solstice holds significance in the beekeeping world because today the days begin to lengthen and the march toward spring and summer begins.
On this blustery winter day, our bees are clustered against the cold. Honey bee colonies do not hibernate, they pack themselves together tightly into a ball. They stay warm by shivering their flight muscles. Bees on the outside of the cluster will migrate toward the center and the warmer bees at the center will migrate to the outside. This keeps the bees on the outside from getting too cold and falling away. It's more dynamic than most people imagine!
Right now, my colonies have no brood to care for. My queens have stopped laying for a time that can extend from mid fall to late winter. Beekeeping lore uses the winter solstice as a time-mark, after which queens will begin to lay again in slowly increasing amounts. But external temperatures are more of an influencing factor than day length and brood nests in northern climates will stay very small or non-existent until the warmer temperatures arrive with longer days and spring winds.
For now we wait, hunkered down and huddled together against the cold.
The image is of Brigid (Celtic goddess) giving shelter to a cluster of honey bees on the winter solstice. She will keep them until Imbolg, the beginning of spring when the shifting of the season can be felt.
Image generated by DALL-E 3
