Major Buzzzz: The Story of Honey


Everybody loves that sweet-tasting golden fluid called honey. Honey has been America’s favorite sweetener throughout history, and it is still the preferred ingredient for making yummy baked goods, desserts, and drinks. There are over 300 different types of honey in the United States, and they come from a wide range of beautiful flowers, including Eucalyptus, Clover, and Orange Blossoms. Last year, beekeepers from about 2.56 million colonies across the United States managed to produce around 160 million pounds of honey! On average, each American consumes around 1.25 pounds of honey every year.

Do you know that bees have to work very hard to make honey? Honey is actually nectar from flowers, and bees get busy drawing nectar when flowers are in bloom. They store the nectar in their little stomachs, and then, they return to their hives. Once they are back in their hives, they will swallow and regurgitate the nectar to get rid of excess water. The finished honey is an awesome golden liquid that is sticky, thick, and sweet, and the bees will store their favorite food in honeycombs, so that they will not go hungry during winter time. The beekeeper will start collecting honey when the hive is full. The honey will be heated and pasteurized right after it is harvested, so that bad bacterium that causes food poisoning will be destroyed. The processed honey will then be stored in jars and distributed to your local grocery stores or supermarkets. Other than honey, a beekeeper can also harvest beeswax, royal jelly, and pollen from a bee hive. Beeswax can be used for making candles, pharmacy products, and cosmetics, while royal jelly and bee pollen can make your body healthy and strong.

Honey Making

  • Why Bees Make Honey?: This article explains why bees make honey, and it includes descriptions of the various roles in a bee colony.
  • Honey Bees: Learn about the biology of honey bees in this article.
  • Making Honey: A BBC article that describes the process of honey making.
  • Bees and Honey: Interesting information about bees and honey making.
  • Royal Jelly: Find out more about royal jelly from this article.

Honey Facts and Trivia

  • Honey Bee FAQ: Frequently asked questions about bees, honey, and beekeeping.
  • Bee Trivia: Find out more information about honey bees in this website.
  • Honey Bee Facts: Interesting honey bee facts from the York County Beekeepers’ Association.
  • Honey Bee Quiz: Test your knowledge about honey bees with this great quiz.

Honey Recipes for Kids

  • Honey Recipes: Make delicious dishes and desserts with these honey recipes.
  • Recipes Using Honey: British honey recipes from the Northamptonshire Beekeepers’ Association.
  • More Honey Recipes: A number of honey recipes from the Mississippi Beekeepers Association.

Teacher Resources

  • Bee Craft: Selection of bee craft ideas for preschool and kindergarten teachers.
  • Honey Bee Production: Use this excellent lesson plan to teach students about honey bee production.
  • A Honey of a Hexagon: A lesson that requires students to learn about honey making through hands-on activities.
  • Bee Unit Study: List of honey bee lesson plans, worksheets, and activities.
  • Buzzy Busy Bee: Links to educational materials that are related to the bee.



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