Once upon a time, in a meadow filled with wildflowers, there lived a colony of bumblebees. The bees buzzed from flower to flower, collecting nectar and pollen to bring back to their hive. They worked hard every day, helping to pollinate the plants and make sure that the meadow stayed beautiful and full of life.
But as the days grew shorter and the weather grew colder, the bumblebees began to slow down. They knew that winter was coming, and that meant it was time for them to prepare for hibernation. Because children, did you know not only furry animals hibernate, insects do too.
All the bumblebees in the colony, except the new queen, died, only the queen bumblebee goes into hibernation. This means she has an important task when she wakes up, for she is alone, and it will be her responsibility to build a whole new community. She will not wake up until the warm days of spring and then she has a big job to do.
The queen’s job is to ensure the colony’s survival, so while she slept she made a bunch of eggs and let them grow. After hibernating for months and months, she finally woke up. She set out to find a new home for the colony. She flew far and wide, searching for the perfect place to start a new nest. Finally, after many weeks of searching, the queen found a cozy little cave hidden deep in the woods. It was the perfect place for a new nest, and the queen was very happy. She quickly set to work, building a new home for her colony. There she hatched her eggs and when the little bumblebees were big enough, they took over all the housework she first did all alone.
All the bees foraged for food, collecting nectar and pollen to store in the new nest.
And so, while the new queen bumblebee hibernated for up to 9 months, she still ensured the survival of her colony.
