How is Honey made? and how do we harvest our honey?

Honey is a natural sweet substance produced by bees from the nectar of flowering plants. The process of making and harvesting honey involves several steps:

1. Foraging for Nectar:

• Honeybees, primarily worker bees, collect nectar from flowering plants using their long, tube-like tongues called proboscis. They visit flowers and suck out the nectar, which is a sugary liquid produced by the flowers to attract pollinators.

2. Storing Nectar in the Honey Stomach:

• The bees store the collected nectar in their honey stomach, a separate pouch used exclusively for transporting nectar back to the hive. Enzymes in the honeybee's stomach begin the process of breaking down the complex sugars in the nectar into simpler sugars like glucose and fructose.

3. Returning to the Hive:

• Once the honeybee's honey stomach is full, it returns to the hive and regurgitates the nectar into the mouth of another bee. This process is repeated among several worker bees, allowing enzymes to continue breaking down the sugars.

4. Honeycomb Storage:

• Bees then spread the partially digested nectar into honeycomb cells. The bees fan their wings over the nectar to help evaporate excess water, reducing the moisture content of the nectar to about 17-20%.

5. Ripening the Honey:

• As the bees continue to fan their wings, the nectar's moisture content decreases, and the sugars become more concentrated. When the moisture content reaches the desired level, the bees seal the honeycomb cell with beeswax to protect the honey.

Bee keeper harvesting honey

6. Harvesting Honey:

• Beekeepers harvest honey when the honeycomb cells are capped, indicating that the honey is fully ripened and ready for storage. To harvest honey, beekeepers remove the honey-filled frames from the hive.

7. Extracting and Processing:

• Beekeepers use a honey extractor, a machine that uses centrifugal force to spin the honey out of the frames without damaging the comb. The extracted honey is then filtered to remove any impurities such as beeswax or bee parts.

8. Bottling and Storage:

• The filtered honey is bottled and sealed for distribution. Proper storage is essential to maintain the honey's quality. Honey should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, which can cause it to crystallize over time.

It's important to note that all responsible beekeeping practices ensure that there is enough honey left in the hive to sustain the bees through the winter and support the overall health of the colony. Beekeepers follow ethical guidelines to ensure the well-being of the bees and maintain sustainable honey production.