Honey
bees collect pollen and nectar when most flowers and plants are in bloom. They
use their tube-like long tongues like straws (called proboscis) to suck the
nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their stomachs and carry it to
the beehive. While inside the bee's stomach for about half an hour, the nectar
mixes with the proteins and enzymes produced
by the bees, converting the nectar into honey. The bees then drop the honey
into the comb, which in hexagonal
shape made of wax produced by the bees itself, and repeat the process until the
combs are full. To prepare for long-term storage, the bees fan their wings to
evaporate and thicken the honey (note: nectar is 80% water and honey is about
14-18% water). When this is done, the bees cap the comb full of honey with wax
and move on to the next empty comb, starting all over again. So, in a nutshell,
the honey we eat is flower nectar that collect, regurgitated and dehydrated to
enhance its nutritional properties.
