Honey bees are fascinating creatures that play an essential role in our ecosystem. They are known for their production of honey, a sweet and delicious treat that has been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years. Here is a step-by-step guide on how honey bees make honey:
Collecting Nectar:The honey bee collects nectar from flowers using its long, tube-like tongue. The nectar is a sugary liquid that is produced by the flowers to attract pollinators.
Storing Nectar: The bee stores the nectar in its honey stomach, a special pouch that is separate from its regular stomach. The honey stomach can hold up to 70mg of nectar.
Enzyme Action: While the nectar is in the honey stomach, enzymes are added to it. These enzymes help to break down the complex sugars in the nectar into simple sugars that can be easily digested by the bees.
Transferring Nectar: Once the bee has collected enough nectar, it returns to the hive and transfers the nectar to another bee. The bee receiving the nectar stores it in one of the hexagonal cells in the honeycomb.
Evaporation: Once the nectar is stored in the honeycomb, the bees fan their wings over it to help evaporate the water content in the nectar. This process reduces the water content from around 70% to below 20%.
Wax Capping: Once the honey has reached the correct water content, the bees cap the cell with beeswax to seal it off and preserve the honey.
Harvesting: When the honey is ready to be harvested, the beekeeper removes the wax caps from the cells, and the honey is extracted using a centrifugal force extractor.
Filtering: After extraction, the honey is filtered to remove any impurities or pieces of wax that may have been left behind.
Bottling: The final step is to bottle the honey and enjoy its sweet taste!
In conclusion, honey bees work tirelessly to create this sweet and delicious substance that we all enjoy. Their process of making honey is truly remarkable and highlights the importance of these incredible creatures in our environment.