it is all about gathering pollen and nectar to provide food and
make honey. The honey bee colony worker population can be
between 50,000 and 60,000, whereas a bumble bee colony has
about 120 workers. Honey production is a well-engineered
series of biological behaviors and chemical reactions. Nectar
is composed of water and sucrose that must be broken down
to less complex sugars via an enzyme.
With honey bees, the resulting substance is transferred into
hexagonal comb cells where the bees keep the temperature
constant and water evaporation can occur. Interestingly,
honey is comprised of a low pH (acidic), making it resistant
to mold, bacteria, and fungi once sealed into the honeycombs.
The usage of the honey is where these two types of bees
differ. Bumble bees do not produce honeycombs or store
honey. All products are eaten by the colony and the queen,
and all but a new queen die off in the winter. Honey bees
utilize the stored honey as a critical winter and