The Busy Honeymakers

On a warm spring morning, a honeybee leaves her hive and zigzags across a garden. She lands on a purple flower and uses her long tongue to sip nectar, a sweet liquid made by flowers. Pollen sticks to the bee’s fuzzy body as she moves from bloom to bloom. This helps plants make seeds. When her honey stomach is full, the bee flies home. At the hive, she passes the nectar to another worker bee. The workers move the nectar from bee to bee and fan it with their wings. This helps some of the water evaporate, making the nectar thicker. Bees also add natural substances that help preserve it. After a while, the mixture becomes honey. The bees store honey in wax-built compartments inside the hive. Honey is food for the colony, especially when flowers are scarce or the weather is cold. Many worker bees have different jobs: some gather nectar, some care for young bees, and some keep the hive clean. Their teamwork helps the whole colony thrive. Bees do not make honey just for people—their stores help the colony survive.

Find the facts

Think it through