13/10/2023
Bee vomit!!
Did you know?🧐 A honey bee’s body is specially designed to make honey!
Honey bees ingest nectar from flowers and store it in their “honey crop,” or “honey stomach,” an organ containing enzymes that change the pH balance and chemical makeup of the nectar.
When the foraging bees return to the hive, they pass the nectar to younger house bees, who keep passing the nectar from bee to bee. This process continues to break down the nectar into more simple sugars and reduces the water content.
After the nectar is placed in the comb, the bees dehydrate it further by fanning their wings.
Once the water content reaches 20% or less, it’s ready to be sealed with wax caps!
This is a basic overview of the process, not an extensive dive. The fact that honey bees just inherently know all the ins and outs is one of the coolest things about them!
