We all love to taste the sweetness of honey at least once a day. Not only us, but since ancient times, people worldwide have been using honey for its nutritional and medicinal properties.
However, small bees have been using it for much longer than humans. So, let us discuss why bees make honey.
Bees make honey to store it so that they can use it or eat it on rainy days. The sugars within the honey provide the bees with the energy they require.
Honey is an energy-rich food for bees that helps them remain energetic even in winter when they cannot go out and collect pollen from various flowers.
The bees need energy, not just to fly outside their hives. The wing beats of the bees also regulate the temperature within the hive itself. Hence, they can keep their hive warm even during cold days and turn pollen’s gathered sugars into honey.
How Is Honey Made?
Bees gather flower pollen from different flowers, which they carry back to the hive for storage. After going inside the honeycomb, the gathered gets broken down into numerous simple sugars, which automatically evaporate after being fanned by the bees’ continuous wing beats. After this procedure, a thickened substance is made, which we know as honey.
Beekeepers collect this substance or honey by scrapping off the beeswax and then spinning the honeycombed frames in a centrifuge.
This eventually forces the honey out of the comb. Different types of honey have different kinds of textures, colors, and flavors according to the pollen that those bees collect to make honey.
Do Bees Require Honey To Survive?
This is another important thing that we should know. The basic answer to this question is yes. In temperature climates, bees require that honey last through the cold days of winter.
However, while discussing important things about collecting honey, we should know that it is not right to break a beehive to get the honey.
Honey is important for bees, as it provides them with the energy for colony maintenance, flight, and also other daily activities.
Pollen, frequently called “bee bread,” is the main source of protein for bees. Pollens also provide them with essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, organic molecules, and fatty acids.
Moreover, honey’s components help bees live longer and boost their tolerance power in harsh weather conditions. In addition, honey can heighten their ability to fight against infections and ailments.
Honey even works as an antibiotic for bees, ensuring their good health. However, honeybees need to find the right flowers to make their honey powerful and full of nutrients.
Is Honey Beneficial To Humans?
Not only for bees, but honey is also very beneficial to humans. Honey has the power to prevent memory disorders in humans and is also good for healing wounds, especially burns. Moreover, honey even has anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety benefits.
Thus, in this article, we have learned some exciting things about honey. For some more exciting facts, you can see our website.
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)