Honey bees become less active, but not entirely dormant (inactive). When the temperature falls below 10 °C the honey bee queen and workers huddle together in their brood chamber in a temperature regulating cluster - called a thermoregulating cluster. This is commonly referred to as a 'winter cluster'. read more
Bees have one main job in the winter — to take care of the queen bee. This means they must keep her safe and warm. In order to do so, worker bees surround the queen and form a cluster with their bodies. The worker bees then flutter their wings and shiver. read more
Bumble bees do not live year-to-year, nor do they drill holes in wood. It sounds like you have a carpenter bee and, yes, they are frequently mistaken for bumble bees. They also do not live from one year to the next. read more