Honeybees
in Wisconsin
Honeybees are not pests — they are the pollinators behind Wisconsin's cranberries, apples, cherries, and vegetables. Unlike wasps, a honeybee colony survives the winter and should be relocated, never exterminated. Here is how to tell them apart and what to do if they move onto your property.
What They Do for Wisconsin
Honeybees are Wisconsin's most important managed pollinator. A single colony visits millions of flowers, pollinating cranberry bogs, apple and cherry orchards, vegetable gardens, and wild plants. They produce honey and beeswax and support both agriculture and backyard gardens. Unlike yellow jackets and hornets, honeybees are gentle, only sting when pressed or defending their hive, and die after stinging. A honeybee colony is a resource worth protecting — when one moves into a wall or chimney, the right answer is live relocation by a beekeeper, not extermination.
What They Do in the Winter
Honeybees are the one stinging insect on this list that survives the winter as a colony. When it gets cold, the bees form a tight cluster inside the hive, shivering their wing muscles to generate heat, and feed on the honey they stored all summer. The queen stays warm in the center. A healthy colony can survive months of Wisconsin winter this way.
- The whole colony survives winter — not just the queen — clustered together for warmth.
- Bees vibrate their flight muscles to generate heat, keeping the core around 95°F.
- They feed on stored honey through the cold months, so a hive needs 60–90 lbs of honey to make it to spring.
- On mild winter days, bees take short "cleansing" flights, then re-cluster.
Nesting
Honeybees build vertical sheets of wax comb for honey, pollen, and brood. In the wild they nest in hollow trees; around homes they move into wall voids, attics, chimneys, and soffits. Managed colonies live in wooden hives. A single colony can number 20,000–60,000 bees.
Diet
Honeybees feed entirely on flowers. Nectar provides carbohydrates; pollen provides protein, fats, and vitamins. They convert excess nectar into honey and store it in wax cells to feed the colony through winter.
- Nectar from flowers (carbohydrates)
- Pollen from flowers (protein and nutrients)
- Honey stored in comb (winter food)
- Water gathered for cooling the hive
Fast Facts
A honeybee's stinger is barbed — it stays in your skin and the bee dies shortly after. They sting only when truly threatened, not at picnics.
A cluster of bees hanging from a branch in spring is a swarm looking for a new home. They are gorged on honey and surprisingly gentle — call a beekeeper to collect it.
Honeybees are fuzzy, amber, and rounded. Yellow jackets are shiny, bright yellow, and aggressive — they are the ones at your soda can.
Unlike wasps, the honeybee colony lives through winter by clustering and eating stored honey.
Honeybees pollinate Wisconsin's cranberry crop — one of the state's biggest agricultural products.
A colony in your wall should be removed alive by a beekeeper, then the entry point sealed so a new swarm can't move in.
Protect, Don't Exterminate
Honeybees are essential pollinators — we do not treat them as pests. If a colony has moved into your wall, chimney, or a high-traffic area, the right move is live relocation by a beekeeper, not extermination. We can help you find a local beekeeper and handle any follow-up exclusion so they don't return.
Learn About Bees & Pollinators