Wasps are insects often mistaken for bees, yet their behaviors and roles in the natural world differ significantly. While bees are widely known for producing honey, the idea of wasps making it surprises many. Understanding honey production and the typical diets of most wasp species helps clarify why honey production is not a common wasp trait.
How Honey is Made
Honey production begins with bees collecting nectar, a sugary liquid from flowers. Worker bees use their proboscis to draw nectar into a specialized storage organ, the honey stomach. As the bee flies back to the hive, enzymes in this stomach begin breaking down complex sugars into simpler ones.
Once in the hive, the nectar is transferred among worker bees, where more enzymes are added and the liquid is further processed. Bees then deposit this partially converted nectar into honeycomb cells.
To reduce the water content, bees fan their wings vigorously over the open cells. This fanning evaporates excess moisture, thickening the liquid into honey. Once the honey reaches the desired consistency, bees cap the cells with beeswax, sealing it for storage and consumption, especially during periods of scarce floral resources or colder months.
What Wasps Typically Eat
Most wasp species have diverse diets that do not involve collecting and storing nectar as honey. Adult wasps commonly feed on sugary substances like nectar, fruit juices, and honeydew, which provide them with energy.
However, their primary focus, particularly for social wasps, is providing protein to their developing larvae. Adult wasps hunt various insects, chewing the prey into a digestible form to feed their young.
In return for this protein-rich food, wasp larvae often secrete a sweet, carbohydrate-rich liquid that adult wasps consume. This exchange sustains adult wasps, who cannot digest solid protein due to their narrow digestive tracts.
Some wasps also act as scavengers, feeding on carrion or human food scraps, especially later in the summer when natural food sources might become less abundant. The feeding strategies of most wasps are geared towards predation and scavenging, rather than extensive nectar processing and storage like honey-producing insects.
The Few Wasps That Make Honey
Despite the general rule that wasps do not produce honey, a few rare species, primarily within the genus Brachygastra, are known to create a honey-like substance. These social paper wasps, often referred to as “honey wasps,” are predominantly found in Neotropical regions, extending from the southern United States through Central and South America. The Mexican honey wasp, Brachygastra mellifica, is a well-known example, inhabiting areas like southeastern Arizona and Texas, as well as Mexico and Central America.
These honey wasps collect nectar from various floral sources, including mesquite and sunflower, and also gather honeydew from plant-sucking insects. They store this sweet liquid in their paper nests, much like bees store honey in their combs, as a food reserve for the colony.
The honey produced by Brachygastra mellifica has been chemically analyzed and found to be similar in sugar content to honeybee honey, containing glucose and fructose. This honey provides an important food source for the colony, particularly for the larvae and during periods when fresh nectar is scarce. Some indigenous cultures have historically harvested and consumed this wasp honey, recognizing its palatability.