Why do bees make honey?

The answer to this month's Why is actually pretty simple, however, I did find out a few other...buzzy...facts while researching it. Haaa. Sorry.

Bees make honey to fuel the hive over the winter time, when there is a shortage of nectar from flowers. So are we stealing their food? Well, it seems bees are so adept at making this store that each hive creates far more than they need, leaving plenty of the sweet stuff for us. However, I have read that a good beekeeper will leave enough of the bee's honey stores in the hive in case the bees should need it, or even store a little out of the hive in case they run out. 

How does the hive work?

The hive is made up of a Queen (you can call her Queen Bee), drones, and worker bees. 

The Queen is selected at 2 days old by the drones. She is there just for bee-making, and mates with the drones, who are also there just for this purpose. If the hive gets short on food, drones are often kicked out. 

The ones who mate with the Queen though, die immediately. I guess the other ones just hang around.

The worker bees are smaller and do all the work. Well, the other work. They collect nectar to make honey and feed the Queen and her babies, guard the hive from thieves, and keep the hive cool with the beat of their wings! They also produce the honeycomb the honey is kept in. 

The drones are male, by the way, and the workers are female. Just saying.

This article very clearly explains how the Queen is selected, in case you are interested.

Why honey?

Honey contains many nutrients and a high sugar content. so it's perfect energy food for active bees. The high sugar content and honeycomb storage means it keeps practically forever, as no fungi and the like can live in all that sugar. 

Next month

I have had a request for a genetics based question, which I have simplified to the following:

Why are me and my brothers and sisters different, even though we have the same mummy and daddy?

Wish me luck with that one!