Page 51 - 6th std Eng SL text 2019-20

into honey. The bees then drop the honey into the honeycombs
(hexagonal cells made of wax produced by the bees). The bees

repeat the process until the combs are full.

nectar : a sweet fluid produced by flowers and
made into honey by bees

in bloom : with the flowers fully open

honey sac : also called honey stomach

hive : beehive; a structure wherein bees live and

make honey

enzyme : chemical substance that is produced

To prepare for long-term storage, the bees fan their wings
to evaporate and thicken the honey (note: nectar has 80%

water and honey has only about 14-18% water). When this

is done, the bees cap the honeycomb with wax and move on

to the next empty comb. So, in a nutshell, the honey we eat
is nectar that honey bees have collected, regurgitated and

dehydrated to enhance its nutritional properties.

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