Why don’t bees get sticky when they make honey?
SOFIE KEARNS (AGED 6), VIA EMAIL
Honey, which is made by the eight species of honeybee, is a viscous mixture of sugars and water. It’s stored inside honeycomb cells, which are sealed with wax until the energy-rich liquid is required to feed larvae or help adult bees survive the winter. If the comb becomes damaged and the honey leaks out, bees can indeed become sticky and even get stuck. Bee expert Prof Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex has seen it happen, but not often. “I think they’re simply very careful when handling honey and meticulously groom off any sticky residues,” he says. HP
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