Honeybees produce honey, a natural product enjoyed worldwide. This process involves collecting various substances from their environment and transforming them within the hive.
Nectar: The Primary Ingredient
Nectar, a sweet secretion from plant glands called nectaries, serves as the main raw material for honey production. It is primarily a watery solution of sugars, including fructose, glucose, and sucrose. It also contains trace amounts of proteins, salts, acids, and essential oils. The sugar content in nectar can vary widely, from 3% to 80%, depending on factors like plant species and environmental conditions. Bees are particularly attracted to nectar with higher sugar concentrations, generally avoiding sources with less than 15% sugar.
Worker bees collect nectar using their proboscis, a long, straw-like tongue, inserted into the flower to suck up the liquid. The collected nectar is then stored in a specialized organ, the honey sac or crop, separate from the bee’s digestive stomach. A single bee can visit up to 150 flowers on one trip, gathering nectar that can amount to almost its own body weight. Upon returning to the hive, the foraging bee transfers the nectar to other house bees, often through mouth-to-mouth regurgitation.
Honeydew: An Alternative Source
When floral nectar is scarce, bees may collect honeydew as an alternative or supplemental food source. Honeydew is a sugary excretion produced by plant-sucking insects like aphids, mealybugs, or leafhoppers, as they feed on plant sap. These insects consume large quantities of sap for its amino acids, expelling the excess sugar as a sticky liquid. Bees collect this honeydew from leaves, stems, or bark, processing it similarly to nectar.
Honey produced from honeydew, often called forest or tree honey, has distinct characteristics compared to nectar honey. It has a darker color, ranging from amber to almost black, and a stronger, sometimes woodsy, malty, or savory flavor. Honeydew honey also has a lower glucose content and higher levels of complex sugars and minerals, contributing to its slower crystallization rate and higher antioxidant properties.
Water: A Vital Component
Water is collected for various hive functions beyond honey production. Bees gather water from diverse sources, including dew, puddles, and plant sap. They transport this water back to the hive in their honey sac, similar to nectar collection. Water plays a role in diluting stored honey, making it easier for bees to consume, especially during winter when honey can crystallize.
Bees also use water for temperature and humidity regulation. On hot days, worker bees spread a thin layer of water over the comb or within cells and then fan their wings to evaporate it, creating a cooling effect. This evaporative cooling helps maintain the brood nest at a consistent temperature, around 34-35°C (93-95°F). Nurse bees require water to produce royal jelly for feeding larvae.
The Transformation Within the Hive
The transformation of collected nectar or honeydew into honey occurs inside the hive. After receiving the raw material, house bees repeatedly regurgitate and pass the liquid among themselves. During this transfer, bees add enzymes, primarily invertase, produced in their hypopharyngeal glands. Invertase breaks down the complex sugar sucrose, abundant in nectar, into simpler sugars: glucose and fructose.
Reducing the high water content of the collected liquid, which can be as much as 80% in fresh nectar, is another step. Bees achieve this by spreading the liquid in honeycomb cells and vigorously fanning their wings. This constant airflow promotes evaporation, gradually reducing the moisture content to below 18-20%, which prevents fermentation and allows for long-term storage. Once the honey reaches the appropriate consistency and moisture level, the bees cap the cells with a thin layer of beeswax, sealing the honey for preservation.