Sweet post. How bees make honey

How bees make honey

Here's some information about how bees make honey and the history of honey in the USA.

How bees make honey

Bees collect nectar from flowers using their long tongues and store it in their honey stomachs. Enzymes in the bees' stomachs break down the complex sugars in the nectar into simpler sugars. When the bees return to the hive, they pass the nectar to other bees, who continue breaking down the sugars. The bees then deposit the nectar into wax cells and fan their wings to evaporate the water content, which thickens the nectar into honey. Once the honey is fully ripened, the bees cap the cells with wax to seal in the honey until it is needed as food.

History of honey in the USA

• Early European settlers brought honey bees to the Americas in the 1600s.
• In 1852, Lorenzo Langstroth patented the movable-frame hive, which made larger-scale beekeeping practical.
• During World War II, honey was used as a substitute for sugar, which was in short supply due to rationing.
• Today, commercial beekeeping operations work in every state.

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Do not feed honey to infants under 12 months old.