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Messenger photos by Rachel Scofield |
| A honey bee gathers nectar from a flower. The bee will regurgitate the nectar several times to create honey, then store it in the honeycomb for food. Pollen (male plant reproductive cells) stick to the bee as she collects the nectar. The bee transfers the pollen to the female cells of the same or different flower and the plant is pollinated. Many crops in Ohio benefit from pollination by bees including apples and melons. For more information on pollination, visit the National Honey Board Web site at www.honey.com. |
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| Andrew Kartal the apiary (bee) inspector for the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg uses a heated knife to peel wax from the top of a honeycomb to reveal the honey underneath. Late summer and early fall is the time to collect honey after the bees have worked all spring and summer to create it. Honey bees typically produce at least twice as much honey as the colony needs to survive. |
