But living through the cold spell doesn't mean every worker survives through to spring. Dead bees were found both below the hive entrances and further afield. Some fly out never to return and some are thrown out because they died within the hive.
What drives them to leave the hive in the middle of January? Temperature!! As long as they can fly, they will. Better to be the first hive to find the first flower then late to the party. They also have to...you know...go. Bees don't mess up their hive even when stuck inside for several weeks. So out they go. Bee poop! The image below is of bee poop on the flap to the cardboard winter covers and the second is on the snow. Another reason not to eat the yellow snow!
