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When teaching kids about bees and honey, I often start with a simple question: “Why do bees make honey, and what do you think would happen if bees didn’t make honey?”
The most common response is, “They make it for us to eat!” While that’s a lovely thought, the reality is quite different. Bees don’t care if we have enough honey for our crumpets - they’re focused on their own survival.
Honey is made from nectar and is essential for bees because it’s their primary carbohydrate source. They store it in the hive to ensure they have enough food during times when nectar is scarce, such as in winter or during extreme weather events like drought or heat waves.
For beekeepers, maintaining a balance between harvesting honey and leaving enough for the bees is crucial for the health and survival of their hives.
Let's dive into the fascinating process of how bees make and store honey.
Step 1: Gathering the Nectar
The honey making process begins with the incredible foraging skills of worker bees. Their mission? To seek out nectar-producing flowers, which can be located up to two kilometers away from the hive. The worker leaving the nest on a foraging trip can face an overwhelming array of flowers, some more valuable than others. Using their highly sensitive antennae, bees can detect the best times to visit flowers, as nectar production fluctuates throughout the day.
The bee uses her straw-like tongue, called a proboscis, to suck up nectar from flowers and store it in a special pouch called the honey stomach. This organ is specifically designed for carrying nectar and occupies much of the bee’s abdominal cavity when full.
Interestingly, if a bee is hungry, she can transfer some nectar from the honey stomach to her own stomach to fuel her energy as she continues to forage. Honeybees are capable of flying up to five kilometers in search of food, but they typically forage closer to the hive if good food sources are available. Most foraging flights cover around 800 meters. Once the honey stomach is full, the bee heads back to the hive, carrying her precious cargo.
Considering that the honey stomach can hold nearly 25 to 40 milligrams of nectar - almost equal to the bee's own weight of around 50 milligrams - it’s quite an impressive feat!
Step 2: Converting the Nectar to Honey
Once back at the hive, the nectar undergoes a transformation. This process is carried out by younger worker bees, known as house bees. They pass the nectar from mouth to mouth in a process called trophallaxis. As they do this, they add an enzyme called invertase, which breaks down the complex sugar in nectar (sucrose) into two simpler sugars: glucose (blood sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar).
As the nectar is passed between bees, its moisture content gradually decreases. Initially, nectar is around 70% water, but through the bees' processing, the moisture content is reduced to about 20%. This reduction is crucial for the conversion of nectar into honey, as it prevents fermentation and spoilage. Once the nectar reaches the ideal moisture level, the bees store it in hexagonal honeycomb cells within the hive. It takes many tiny drops of honey to fill just one cell, and it’s astonishing to consider that a single bee produces only about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.
Step 3: Fanning and Ripening the Honey
After nectar is stored in the honeycomb cells, bees work to reduce its moisture content further and ripen the honey. They do this by fanning their wings continuously, creating airflow within the hive. This airflow helps evaporate excess water from the nectar, further reducing its moisture content. The ideal moisture content for ripened honey is around 18%.
Proper ripening is crucial because honey with too much moisture can ferment, leading to spoilage. By reducing the water content, bees ensure that the honey is stable, less prone to fermentation, and protected from contamination by fungi or bacteria.
Step 4: Sealing the Honeycomb Cell
Once the honey is fully ripened, the bees seal the honeycomb cell with wax, creating an airtight barrier that preserves the honey’s nutritional value. This sealed honey will serve as a vital food source for the bees during lean times when nectar is not available.
Bee Education: Appreciation for our Friends with Honey
As part of our Bee Education and Bee Incursion programs, we delve into this intricate process of honey production. Bees are extraordinary creatures, functioning together as a superorganism to create and store honey. By learning about each step of the process from nectar collection to the final, delicious product we can gain a deeper appreciation for the incredible work these insects do to produce such a valuable and delicious resource.
Bee-Inspired Music: Friends with Honey
Our passion for bees extends beyond education. The Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show Album features a toe tapping tune that helps children understand the importance of bees. “The Bee Song” is a treat for lovers of country music and teaches kids how “life's so sweet when you are a bee.” It’s also perfect for learning a simple line dance like the “Cowboy Shuffle.”
Through both education and entertainment (we like to say edutainment!), we aim to inspire a love and respect for bees in the next generation.
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