Brood Nest
In subtropical climates, bees may not form a winter cluster at all. Worker bees forage and queens lay eggs almost year-round.
In the temperate zones, winter temperatures dip below 54 °F (12 °C) for extended periods. All brood rearing stops for some period during the winter. In early spring, brood rearing resumes inside the winter cluster when the queens starts to lay eggs again. Once a broodnest is established, the cluster must maintain a steady temperature between 94.1 to 98.0 °F (34.5 - 36.7 °C) inside the cluster. If the temperature in areas of the brood nest dips too low the brood dies - also called chilled brood.
Read more about this topic: Winter Cluster
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