Winter Watch: March 12th, 2026

This morning, the apiary sits quietly under a deep blanket of snow. March has arrived, but winter is not quite ready to let go. In the backyard, nearly two feet of snow covers the ground, drifting around the hives until only their tops remain visible.

From a distance, the bright boxes peek through the white like little cabins in a frozen landscape. Everything seems still. No buzzing, no movement, just the soft hush that comes with a snowy morning.

But inside the hives, life continues.

Thousands of bees are gathered together in a tight winter cluster around their queen. Instead of flying, they vibrate their flight muscles, creating warmth and sharing it with the colony. Even when the outside temperature hovers near freezing, the center of that living cluster stays surprisingly warm.

The heavy snow that nearly buries the hives may look alarming, but it actually helps them. Snow works like a natural blanket, insulating the colonies from biting winds and sudden temperature swings. Beneath that snowy cover, the bees wait patiently for the seasons to change.

For now, the apiary remains quiet and still, resting through the final stretch of winter.

Soon, the snow will begin to shrink back into the shadows. The first flowers will push through the thawing ground, and warm sunlight will reach the hive entrances again. When that day comes, the silence of the yard will break, replaced by the familiar hum of bees returning to the sky.

Spring is not far away now. 🐝❄️