Florida Summer Heat and Its Effect on Bee Behavior.
Honey bees clustering outside their hive under Florida’s summer sun.
Florida is well known for its warm weather, lush landscapes, and diverse wildlife. Among its many residents, honey bees play one of the most important roles in the state’s ecosystem. They pollinate crops, support native plants, and help maintain a healthy balance in nature. But as Florida’s summer temperatures rise—often soaring into the mid-90s and beyond—bees face unique challenges that directly affect their behavior.
Understanding how summer heat influences bee activity is important not just for beekeepers, but also for homeowners, farmers, and anyone concerned about the health of our pollinators. Let’s explore how Florida’s sweltering summers impact bee behavior and what this means for both people and the environment.
1. Bees and Temperature: A Delicate Balance
Bees are cold-blooded insects, meaning their activity is heavily influenced by temperature. Unlike mammals, they cannot regulate body heat individually. Instead, honey bees rely on their colony and hive structure to keep temperatures stable.
Optimal Hive Temperature: Honey bees maintain a hive temperature between 93°F and 95°F, which is ideal for brood (larvae and pupae) development.
Too Hot, Too Risky: When outside temperatures climb above 100°F, the hive risks overheating, threatening the survival of developing bees and honey stores.
This balance makes Florida summers particularly challenging, as extended heat waves can put colonies under serious stress.
2. Increased Fanning Behavior
One of the most noticeable changes in bee behavior during hot weather is fanning. Worker bees gather near the hive entrance, align their bodies, and beat their wings rapidly. This action creates a cooling airflow inside the hive, similar to how a fan works in our homes.
In extreme heat, dozens or even hundreds of bees may participate in fanning.
Bees may also collect water and spread thin layers across the hive’s interior so evaporation lowers the temperature.
This extra work helps protect the queen, the brood, and honeycomb from heat damage, but it also means bees expend more energy during the hottest months.
3. Reduced Foraging in Midday Heat
If you’ve noticed fewer bees buzzing around your flowers in the afternoon, you’re not imagining things. Bees adjust their foraging patterns to avoid Florida’s scorching midday sun.
Morning and Evening Activity: Bees often forage earlier in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler.
Midday Slowdown: During peak heat hours (around 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), foraging activity slows significantly.
For homeowners and gardeners, this shift means bees may be less visible during the hottest part of the day but still active during cooler hours.
4. Water Collection Becomes a Priority
Just as people reach for cold drinks during a heatwave, bees also depend on water to survive summer heat. Worker bees leave the hive in search of water sources, which are used for cooling through evaporation and for mixing with stored honey to feed larvae.
Common water sources include:
Summer Heat and Its Effect on Bee Behavior.
Birdbaths
Puddles
Swimming pools (a common frustration for Florida homeowners!)
Leaky hoses or irrigation systems
Providing a safe water source with floating surfaces, like corks or pebbles, can reduce the chance of bees gathering in unwanted areas.
5. Bearding Behavior Outside the Hive
On extremely hot days, bees may gather in large clusters on the outside of the hive, a behavior called bearding. At first glance, it can look like a swarm, but it’s actually the bees’ way of regulating internal temperatures.
By moving outside, they create more space and airflow inside the hive, reducing heat stress on brood and honeycombs. In Florida summers, this behavior is quite common, especially in unmanaged or wild hives inside walls, attics, or tree cavities.
6. Increased Aggression in Extreme Heat
Another effect of Florida’s summer heat is a potential rise in bee defensiveness. When colonies are stressed by heat, lack of water, or overcrowding, they may become more protective of their hive.
Shorter tempers: Hot bees may react more quickly to disturbances near their nest.
Homeowner encounters: If a hive is located in a wall, attic, or near human activity, hot weather can increase the risk of stings.
This is one reason professional bee removal is strongly recommended in Florida, especially during the summer months.
7. Heat and Honey Production
High temperatures don’t just affect bee behavior—they also influence honey production.
Slowed nectar flow: Many Florida plants produce less nectar in extreme heat, leaving bees with fewer resources.
Thicker honey: Evaporation rates are higher, meaning honey may thicken more quickly inside the comb.
Stress on colonies: With more energy devoted to cooling the hive, bees may have less time to forage and produce honey.
For beekeepers, this can mean smaller honey harvests during unusually hot summers.
8. Swarming and Relocation
Florida’s heat can also trigger swarming, a natural process where a portion of the hive—including the queen—leaves to establish a new colony. While swarming is common in spring, high summer temperatures can sometimes push bees to seek cooler, less crowded spaces.
Unfortunately, this often leads bees into human structures such as:
Attics
Wall cavities
Sheds
Roof eaves
That’s why summer is also peak season for bee removal services in Florida.
9. What Homeowners Should Know
Understanding bee behavior in Florida’s summer heat can help homeowners coexist with these essential pollinators more safely. Here are a few tips:
Don’t block entry points suddenly: Trapping heat-stressed bees inside a wall or attic can make them aggressive.
Provide safe water sources: A shallow dish with pebbles can keep bees hydrated and away from pools.
Call professionals for removal: If bees move into your home, DIY solutions can be dangerous. Eco-friendly bee removal ensures the colony is relocated safely.
10. Why Protecting Bees Matters
Despite the challenges they face in Florida’s summer heat, bees remain essential. They pollinate crops like oranges, blueberries, cucumbers, and watermelons—staples of Florida’s agriculture. Without them, our food supply and natural ecosystems would suffer greatly.
By learning how heat affects bee behavior, we can take small steps to protect them while keeping our homes safe.
Florida summers bring sunshine, beaches, and long hot days—but for bees, the heat presents both challenges and adaptations. From fanning and water collection to shifting foraging hours and bearding outside hives, these behaviors showcase the resilience of honey bees in tough conditions.
For homeowners, this knowledge highlights why safe, professional bee removal is essential during the hot months. Protecting bees while protecting your property is the best way forward.
At Eco Bee Removal, we specialize in live bee relocation across Florida, helping both people and pollinators thrive—even in the hottest summer months. If you suspect a hive on your property, give us a call today for safe, eco-friendly solutions.
