Honeycomb is an efficient structure built by honey bees within their nest, serving as the functional core of the colony. This complex matrix is constructed entirely from beeswax, a natural lipid secreted by worker bees. It functions as the primary storage vessel for the colony’s food reserves and provides the necessary space to rear the next generation of bees. Honeycomb represents a sustainable, expandable, and durable building material that sustains the entire hive.
The Anatomy of the Comb
The defining characteristic of the honeycomb is its precise geometric arrangement of hexagonal prismatic cells. This six-sided shape allows for maximum storage volume while minimizing the amount of wax material required for construction. The hexagonal pattern ensures that every cell shares its walls with its neighbors, eliminating wasted space and creating a structure of immense strength.
The cells are angled slightly upward, typically between 9 and 14 degrees, which helps prevent liquid honey from dripping out. These cells are built back-to-back in opposing layers, increasing the structural integrity of the comb. Beeswax, the sole building material, is a complex substance composed mainly of esters, hydrocarbons, and fatty acids.
How Bees Construct the Wax Matrix
The production of beeswax is an energy-intensive biological process carried out by young worker bees. These bees possess four pairs of specialized wax glands located on the underside of their abdomen. They must first consume a significant amount of honey, metabolizing the sugars to fuel the wax secretion; it is estimated that bees consume about 6 to 8 pounds of honey to produce just one pound of wax.
The glands convert the sugar into liquid wax, which then hardens into small, clear flakes or scales upon exposure to air. A worker bee uses spines on its legs to scrape these flakes from its abdomen, passing them forward to its mandibles. The bee chews the wax, mixing it with saliva to make it soft and pliable before it can be molded into the precise cell walls.
Colony temperature regulation is a factor in this construction, as the wax glands function most effectively when the internal hive temperature is maintained between 91 and 97°F (33–36°C). Bees often cluster together in chains, a behavior called “festooning,” which helps them regulate the temperature and form a living scaffold. Thousands of bees work cooperatively to shape the processed wax into the uniform hexagonal cells, building the comb outward from the existing structure.
Honeycomb’s Contents and Human Consumption
The primary purpose of the honeycomb structure is to organize and protect the resources and young of the colony. The cells are used for three main functions:
- Storage of honey.
- Storage of pollen.
- Housing the developing brood.
Honey is the bee’s primary energy source, and it is stored in cells that are then capped with wax once the water content has evaporated sufficiently. Pollen, which is packed tightly into cells and sometimes mixed with nectar to form “bee bread,” provides the necessary protein for the developing larvae. Brood cells contain the queen’s eggs, which develop into larvae and pupae, and these cells are also sealed with wax until the new adult bee emerges.
Honeycomb is entirely edible for humans, consisting of raw honey sealed within the beeswax matrix. The honey within the comb is considered raw and unprocessed, retaining natural enzymes, antioxidants, and trace nutrients often removed in commercial processing. The wax itself provides no significant nutritional value but contains long-chain fatty acids and alcohols that may have beneficial effects on heart health, such as helping to regulate cholesterol levels.
The wax can be chewed like gum to extract the remaining honey and then either swallowed or discarded, as it is safe to consume. Eating honey directly from the comb offers a unique texture and ensures the consumer receives the honey in its most natural state.