Bees collect nectar from flowers. This nectar is changed into honey by bees through fanning their wings to evaporate some of the moisture and also by adding an enzyme that helps in breaking down the sugars. The mature honey is later stored in combs until the season when there will be no flowers on the field. This simply describes how bees produce honey.

Honey, the natural substance produced by bees, is important for its sweetening properties, particularly for diabetic patients who should not use refined sugars. It is also a valuable food substance. As a matter of fact, honey consists mainly of levulose and dextrose sugars. Other nutrients found in honey are sucrose, dextrins, minerals and water.

In recent times, honey has become a well sought-after commodity because of the discovery that it has medicinal and cosmetic properties. For example, honey is locally mixed with hot water, lemon juice or hot milk and used as remedy for cough and sore throat. It is also known that honey has antibiotic properties and it is therefore used as dressing for wounds and burns. Nowadays, honey is finding more uses in cosmetics and toiletries. Beewax which is a by-product of honey production, is used in making candles.

Apart from honey and beewax, other useful products are propolis, royal jelly, pollens and bee venom. The propolis is a secretion that bees obtain from plants. Bees use it to seal any leak in their hives. Human beings use this same substance to repair holes in pots, water tanks and buckets. Bees produce the royal jelly to feed their larvae. This product is used in industries to produce very expensive beauty products. The bee venom is also collected and used to immunize people who have developed allergies to bee sting.

This is much that I can write now. Readers' comments are welcome. Thanks.