Once it is consistently below 10 to 12 C (50F), the bees cluster together in the hive to stay warm. At the centre of the cluster is their mom – the queen bee. The surrounding worker bees vibrate their wing muscles to generate heat and keep the queen warm. The cluster moves around the hive, consuming honey stores. It is said one cluster can consume up to 30 lbs of honey during the winter.
On warmer days in the winter, the bees may leave the hive to relieve themselves during a cleansing flight. Until these special flights, bees will hold their pee and poop. Often yellow polka-dotted snow can be seen around the hives.