All about Honey!
Honeybees and Honey Honeybees are members of the insect order Hymenoptera and play a vital role in the pollination of plants. Without honeybees, we would not have many of our fruits and vegetables, because they pollinate the flowers of the plants that produce this type of food. They do this when they are gathering nectar, which is their food. All sorts of bees consume the nectar in flowers, but honeybees refine and concentrate it in order to produce honey. They produce extra honey and store it in their hives so that they have something to eat when the flowers die in the winter. But just how do bees make honey from nectar? Nectar is made of 80 percent water and 20 percent complex sugars. The bees send their long, straw-like tongues into the flowers and suck out the nectar. It goes into a "honey stomach," where they store it until they get back to the hive. From there they pass the nectar to worker bees, who digest it for 30 minutes. The enzymes break the complex sugars from the nectar into simple sugars. This new nectar is spread throughout the hive in little compartments in the honeycomb, where the water evaporates. Soon it becomes a thick syrup. The bees help the process by fanning the syrup with their wings to help it dry faster. When it is the right consistency, the bees make a little bit of wax and plug up the cell of honeycomb that the honey is in. It will stay there until it needs to be eaten or is harvested by a human. *About Honey Bees - Facts and figures about honeybees *How Do Bees Make Honey? – A detailed description of the honey making process *Honeybee – Detailed information about honey and honeybees *Everything About Honeybees – Learn the life cycle of the honeybee
History of Honey No one knows for sure when man discovered honey, but historians believe that early man watched bears eating the sticky substance in the winter and decided to try it themselves. The trick was finding a way to harvest the honey without being injured by the bee's stings. Beekeeping apparel was quickly developed, which included masks and suits that kept the bees away from the skin. It did not take long for people to learn that bees stayed away from smoke, so they could clear the bees from a hive long enough to harvest honey by filling it with smoke. Soon, ancient man was looking for a way to keep bees in order to harvest their honey. Ancient Egyptians had a well developed beekeeping technique, and Roman writers referred to beekeeping in their writings as well. The products of honeybees are quite varied. Of course, we harvest and eat the honey, and it also makes great father's day gifts! But did you know it can also be used to aid with a cough, make beauty products, or as a substitute for sugar when baking? It is much healthier than sugar, because it is full of vitamins and amino acids. Honey is not the only thing bees make that we use. We also use the beeswax for candles and cosmetics. Royal jelly and propolis can also be harvested from a beehive, and these are used for nutritional purposes. Some people keep bees simply for the pollination service they offer to farming operations. Modern beekeepers can be commercial keepers with hundreds of hives, farmers who choose to keep some bees to help their farming operation, or hobbyists who keep a few hives in order to produce a bit of honey to eat and sell. *Beekeeping History – A detailed history of the art of beekeeping *Hive Products – Fact sheets about beeswax and honey *Less Known Uses of Honey – Find some surprising uses of this sweet treat
Recipes Ever wonder what you could make with honey? One of the easiest things to make is honey butter! Simply take equal parts of honey and softened butter and mix them together. This tastes great on graham crackers. Here are a few other recipes you can enjoy with your family! Remember to have mom or dad help with the blender or oven. * Banana Pops – A tasty treat for a warm sunny day using honey and bananas! * Honey Cookies – A traditional Jewish desert that anyone can make and enjoy featuring honey! * Honey Oatmeal Muffins – A tasty and healthy breakfast option! * Strawberry Yogurt Swirl – A delicious milkshake featuring honey and strawberries!
Honey Fun! Honey is not only tasty, but it can also be a lot of fun! *BeeAmazed Children's Garden – Provides information about bees and some links at the bottom to fun activities. *Plight of the Honeybee – Did you know Honeybees are disappearing? Find out why in this Weekly Reader activity *Honeybee Crossword Puzzle – Created by the NC State Beekeepers Association *Honeybee Coloring Pages – Fun honeybee coloring pages depicting the different types of bees *Honeybee Games – Online games for honeybee lovers *Honeybee Cam – Watch a live hive of honeybees in real time Honeybees are certainly fascinating creatures! Without honeybees, we would have far less to eat because of the pollination services they offer. The next time you see a honeybee, let her do her job, so we can have much more honey to enjoy!
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