Honey

The changes which transform nectar into finished honey are known technically as “ripening.” They take place partly in the honey sac of the bee, and partly in the cells of the comb, continuing even after the latter have been capped with wax. These changes consist mainly of removal of part of the water from the nectar, a task which the bees accomplish by warming the air of the hives and also by fanning the nectar in the cells. Wax is made in and secreted from special glands on the abdomen of the worker bee. Several pounds of honey are used in producing a pound of wax, and the bees must keep a high temperature in the hive while it is being made.