Changes
The brown bee's physiology and behavior differs from other European honey bee subspecies. This becomes especially apparent in the overwintering capacity of the brown bee. Long and harsh winters and windy weather together with strong nectar flow from heather (''Calluna vulgaris'') in Atlantic shore climate zones have been important adaptive factors during the evolution of this subspecies. These evolutionary specialities should be taken into account when managing ''A. m. mellifera'' bees.
List of brown bee-specific featurespertaining to overwintering:
* Nordic bees often stay in a winter cluster longer than other subspecies.
