I live in a country that has a VERY hot climate (45-60 degrees Celsius) and would like to know if the bees will cluster during a 15-20 degrees Celsius winter?, Or will they just continue as if nothing happened?
I live in southern California, semi-desert climate. Winter temperatures go down to about 10-15°C and my bees never cluster. The queen never stops laying either. She stops laying drones for a few months, but continuously lays workers - just fewer of them in the fall/autumn and over winter. I am sure that you will find the same thing
Thanks for the answer. (I will have an extra productive hive😃!)
You should check with a local beekeepers but possible your honey season is in the winter and things are pretty (hot, dry) and slow in the summer. When do you notice flowers blooming? What are the areas surrounding your planned hive location like?
It is also possible that you have a very short nectar flow that requires a lot of preparation and then a management so you can have your colony optimized at the right time without making it too hard for them during the extended dearth to come for the spring, and summer.
Thanks for the tip👍, will do