Bees are like us; year around the bees have to work.
The summer is the time the average person is aware of that six legged fuzzy torpedo shaped, yellow and black flying machine called a honey bee.
The reason is the workers are most active outside the hive and swarms of migrating colonies can be seen then.
From late winter to early autumn, bees work inside the hive to regulate the temperature in the hive's nursery.
It is critical that this temperature be kept between about 91°F and 97°F to ensure proper development of the young.
Rarely would the worker bees allow this temperature to fluctuate more than 2 degrees up or down throughout the day.
When the days get too hot and humid, the bees will fan the brood with their wings to cool the temperature in the nest down.
This cooling is accomplished by fanning their wings and if needed by spreading water on the comb to remove heat through evaporation.
This process of continually fanning requires energy from honey.
Eating honey supplies the nutrition needed to work hard.
Bees do not make honey , but take plant nectar and add enzymes from their saliva into the nectar.
The bees chew the nectar swallow and regurgitate it up and chew it again.
This process is repeated until the consistency and hydration is right to create honey.
The honey drop this bee has so carefully prepared then is placed in a cell in the hive where other bees will add their drops to the cell.
Other workers will fan the honey until the dehydration process is complete and the cell can be capped.
The average American consumes about 1 pound of honey over a year period.
In the course of her lifetime, one honey bee will produce about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.
When you see a bee,give her thanks for all her work.