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What do honeybees do when cold weather prevents them from flying?

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bees on a honeycomb — Beekeeping Bees on a honeycomb.

When temperatures drop below approximately 50–57 °F (10–14 °C), honeybees cease flying and retreat into their hive to survive the cold. To maintain a survivable temperature, the colony forms a tight, all-female winter cluster.12

Within this cluster, the queen bee remains in the warmest core section, while worker bees crowd around her, shivering and shaking their bodies to generate heat. This collective movement allows the center of the cluster to reach temperatures as high as 90–100 °F (32–37 °C). Throughout the winter, the cluster slowly crawls and climbs in formation around the hive to access their stored honey, which serves as their primary source of energy. If outside temperatures rise above 50 °F, the bees may briefly leave the hive to relieve themselves of waste.12