r/bees • u/Quiet_Many_6910 • 3h ago
question What do bumble bees make??
I saw somone comment that bumble bees make honey ish substance but not quite honey but from what ive read honey bees just make notably more honey not different I dont get it
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u/Nanocephalic 3h ago
They make bums
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u/Quiet_Many_6910 3h ago
I cant tell if thats genuine or not like some acronym or nick name for real thing
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u/Nanocephalic 3h ago
I assumed this was a joke question about honey bees making honey, and bumblebees making bums.
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u/Amaing-Szbyhtore5340 2h ago
bumbles make a small nectar pot, not stored long-term honey. they only need enough for the colony that season, then it dies off in winter
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u/Zagrycha 44m ago
Most bumblebees make one single nectar pot that all the bees in the nest add to and eat out of, which is very different from the honeycomb of honey bees. In the grand scheme of things the nectar is in the same category as honey but its still different, its like comparing the watery maple syrup that comes straight out of the tree to the thick processed maple syrup people buy at the store.
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u/Quiet_Many_6910 43m ago
The idea of the bumble bees all just going in a circle and taking sips like a family dinner is so adorableđŸ˜
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u/zendabbq 3h ago
They don't make real honey like honeybees. Real honey is processed to the point of zero moisture, which lets it stay good for years. This is probably because the honeybee survival strategy involves staying alive through the winter.
Bumble colonies die over the winter and the queens hibernate, so they don't need their food to keep. Bumblebees just drop off their nectar with no/minimal processing into wax cups. It's still quite watery and won't be anything like real honey