Several species of bees have been imported to Alberta to pollinate crops and to produce honey. Without them, many fruits and seeds would not be produced. New colonies of honeybees are brought into Alberta each year. They require special effort by beekeepers to survive the winter. However, bees native to Alberta spend the winter in a dormant state, usually in the ground.
Some native bees live alone.
Others, like the bumblebee, build a nest containing 20 to 40 sterile female workers. In Alberta a bumblebee colony lasts for about 80 days. As the old queen and workers die, a new batch of queens and males is produced. They mate and the queens fly away to find a place to overwinter. They will start new colonies in the spring.