Yesterday felt like a small gift from winter. With temperatures climbing to 55 degrees, the apiary came alive—the hives were absolutely humming. On days like this, it’s always reassuring to see signs of activity and strength from our honey bees, even in the heart of winter.

I took the opportunity to peek into each hive to check on their winter food stores. I had placed sugar inside the hives earlier in the season as an emergency food source. While they haven’t needed to touch it yet, it’s comforting to know it’s there for them if natural stores begin to run low.

During the cold winter months, honey bees don’t truly hibernate, but they do something just as fascinating. The colony forms a tight winter cluster, wrapping around the queen and vibrating their flight muscles to generate heat. By clustering together, they conserve warmth and use less energy, relying on stored honey—and occasionally supplemental sugar—to survive until spring.

Seeing the bees active on a mild winter day is one of my favorite reminders that life on the homestead never truly stops. Even in winter, the bees are working together, conserving energy, and patiently waiting for the first true signs of spring.

Stay warm, little hives—we’ll be ready for you when the nectar starts flowing again.