How do bees make honey?
Making honey is a busy job for bees, but they’ve got it down to a science!
Just one bee does a tiny bit, but when lots of bees work together, they make more honey than they could ever eat.
Let’s see how they do it!
1. When bees buzz into a flower, they collect nectar
Every day, from dawn to dusk, bees fly over oceans of flowers.
Buzzing from one blossom to another, they use their tongue like a straw to sip the flower’s nectar.
Nectar is a mix of sugar and water.
But they don’t drink it for themselves – they send it to their “honey stomach.”
Bees have 2 stomachs: one for the food they eat, and one for storing nectar. This second stomach gets rid of bacteria, so the honey lasts for years and years.
Once they’ve filled up, bees head back home.
2. Bees share the goodies back home
Bees find their hive using the sun. They also remember the trees, buildings, and faces they fly past. Their sense of smell tells them, too, if they’re headed in the right direction.
Bees use their antennae to catch smells from 2 directions at the same time.
On the rare chance that they get lost, their buddies help them find the hive.
As soon as they get home, bees do a waggle dance. The twists and turns show the path to the sweetest flowers. That way, other bees know exactly where to look.
In the meantime, more bees gather around to take the nectar. They pass it from mouth to mouth, chewing on it for a few minutes. The bees’ saliva makes the nectar thick and turns it into honey.
3. Bees pack honey into hexagons
Now the honey is almost ready! Bees pack the honey inside honeycombs that they build as hexagons.
They build the hive and honeycombs from a wax they make themselves, called beeswax. When bees collect nectar, one part of their tummies turns some nectar into wax flakes.
Bees know by instinct that hexagons fit snugly together. That means they can hold lots of honey and baby bees.
At this point, the honey is still too watery. To evaporate the water, bees fan it with their wings. The thicker the honey, the longer it will last.
4. Once the honey is just right, bees seal it tight
They add an extra layer of beeswax and save the honey for when they need it.
In the winter, when flowers don’t bloom, finding nectar can be tough. So they pop the lid off.
They huddle inside the hive, sharing the honey and keeping each other warm.
Bees make “bee bread” for the babies. They pack pollen, nectar, and saliva into little balls to help the babies grow strong.
Bees might be small, but they play a BIG role in our world
They help new flowers, fruits, and vegetables grow – which means we need their help growing the food we eat.
Not all bee species make honey, but they all help plants. Honeybees are the champions of honey-making.
You can help bees too! Try planting bee-friendly flowers in your garden. Or get honey from beekeepers who take good care of bees. Every little thing you do is a big deal for them.
The next time you see a busy bee buzzing by, remember all the hard work it’s doing to make honey and help our planet.
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