Where Do Pollinators Go During The Winter?

As the garden transitions from fall to winter, your once-buzzing garden will begin to settle, and you may find yourself wondering: where did all the pollinators go? While they may have disappeared, they are starting a complex (and magical) ecological process that will unfold in your garden during the winter months. Here, we'll discuss where pollinators go during the winter and why this overwintering process is vital to their survival.

Overwintering, as it relates to entomology, is the process by which pollinators enter a state of dormancy during the winter. Pollinators need to overwinter in order to survive cold winter temperatures and conserve energy while food resources are scarce. Some pollinators carry out this process through diapause, a hibernation-like state in their current location, while others migrate to other locations during the winter to find food and warmer temperatures until spring. Depending on where they are in the lifecycle, some butterfly and moth species may lay their next generation of larvae before fall and winter set in, allowing their larvae to overwinter and emerge in the spring. 

Honeybees will begin gathering inside the hive around mid-to-late fall, depending on the climate, and will not emerge until early spring. During this time, they will cluster together for warmth and eat stored honey for energy. Solitary bees like carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, and miner bees will often enter diapause and overwinter as larvae in hollow stems, debris,dead wood, underneath leaves, or in the ground. 

Many butterflies, such as the Monarch and Painted Lady, overwinter by migrating to warmer climates, starting in the North and then traveling South during the fall. This act of migration is instinctual, triggered by several environmental factors, including daylight signals, temperature, and the Earth's magnetic field. Other butterflies, such as the Red Admiral and Mourning Cloak, enter diapause and hibernate in their current location, often in fallen leaves, tree bark, or alongside the sides of houses or sheds. Similar to solitary bees, butterflies that enter diapause will conserve energy to survive cold temperatures and scarce resources.

• Leave the leaves, sticks, and debris in the fall. As stated above, this is where many pollinators will hibernate for the winter! If you want to perform a light cleanup, simply leave a layer of debris in your garden beds for pollinators that have burrowed into sticks, dead wood, or underground. This insulation will also provide an extra layer of protection.

• Procrastinate your spring cleanup until temperatures are reliably above 50 degrees. This will give time for the last of the overwintering pollinators to emerge before disturbing their hibernation. If you are performing a light spring cleanup, simply store debris in piles and leave undisturbed for a few weeks.

• Fill your garden with plants that have interest in every season. Perennials and shrubs that bloom in spring and summer can fuel pollinators with nectar and pollen during their busiest season. Come autumn, fall-blooming plants can continue to provide food for pollinators while their other resources grow scarce. Finally, plants with winter interest can provide wood for hibernation as well as shelter from harsh winter temperatures.