Bees do not consume aphids. Their fundamental diets are entirely different, meaning they do not prey on one another. Despite the lack of a predator-prey relationship, a unique connection exists between them through a distinct, sticky substance. This relationship is based on a byproduct that plays a surprising role in the diet of honeybees and the subsequent production of a specific type of honey.
The Typical Bee Diet
Bees are fundamentally herbivorous insects, relying almost exclusively on plant matter for their nutritional needs. Their primary food sources are nectar and pollen, which provide a balanced diet necessary for colony survival and development. Nectar, a sugary liquid, is rich in carbohydrates like glucose and fructose, serving as the main fuel source for adult bees.
Pollen, collected from the anthers of flowers, is the colony’s protein source. This substance provides the necessary amino acids and micronutrients essential for the development of larvae and young adult bees. Worker bees mix pollen with nectar and enzymes to create “bee bread,” which is stored and fed to the developing brood.
The morphology of a bee is specifically adapted for collecting these plant-based resources. Bees possess a long, tube-like proboscis, perfect for sucking liquids like nectar. This structure is entirely unsuited for capturing and consuming other insects, cementing their role as specialized plant-resource collectors.
Honeydew: The Link Between Bees and Aphids
The connection between bees and aphids is honeydew, a sugar-rich, sticky liquid excreted by the aphids. Aphids are sap-sucking insects that pierce the phloem tissue of plants to access the sap. Phloem sap is extremely high in carbohydrates but remarkably low in protein.
To acquire the necessary protein, aphids must ingest a large volume of sap. The excess sugar water is then rapidly processed and expelled from the digestive tract as a waste product, which is the honeydew. This excretion lands on the leaves, bark, and needles of the host plant.
Honeybees are attracted to this sweet secretion because of its high sugar content. While their preference is always for floral nectar, bees become opportunistic collectors of honeydew when natural flower resources are scarce. This often occurs during periods of drought or in late summer and fall.
The Creation of Honeydew Honey
When bees collect honeydew, they treat it exactly like floral nectar. They gather the sticky liquid with their proboscis and transport it back to the hive. The bees then process it through regurgitation and dehydration, reducing the moisture content to create a stable, thick product.
The resulting product is known as honeydew honey, or often as forest honey, reflecting its source from aphids on trees like fir, pine, and oak. Honeydew honey possesses distinct characteristics that set it apart from traditional blossom honey. It is typically much darker, ranging from amber to nearly black, and has a less sweet, more robust, or resinous flavor profile.
Chemically, it often contains higher levels of oligosaccharides and a lower ratio of the simple sugars glucose and fructose compared to floral varieties. The higher mineral content and increased conductivity are also defining features. This unique composition means the honey is less likely to crystallize quickly, a quality prized by beekeepers and consumers. Its production is highly dependent on large populations of sap-sucking insects and a lack of competing floral nectar sources.