The Incredibly Edible Honeycomb

August 12 , 2023

Perhaps the first question that comes to mind is if honeycomb is truly edible.
The answer is yes but the reason why is worth exploring. Honeycomb is made from beeswax but it’s important to know how it comes into the hive. As we’ve already learned, bees forage for nectar, which is necessary for the development of honey and, therefore, the development of honeycomb.

So, let’s start at the beginning. Bees collect nectar by sucking it up their tongues and storing it in their honey stomach. Once bees have collected a honey stomach full of nectar, they return to the hive. At this point, honeybees begin turning the nectar into honey by passing it through their mouths to the mouths of other worker bees. Each bee chews on it for half an hour before passing it on to the next. Eventually, this process evaporates the nectar and then turns it into honey. Bees consume honey and as they digest it, the honey is converted into wax through a series of glands on the bee’s abdomen. A honeybee has 8 wax-producing glands.

FYI…Bees must consume around 6-8 pounds of honey to produce 1 pound of wax!

The wax enters into the bees’ abdomens as small flakes. But to turn the flakes into beeswax, bees must move the flakes up to their mandibles, or moveable jaws, so they can chew and soften the substance. Bees use one of two methods for transferring the flakes from one place to the next:

1. Another bee removes the scales for them and does the chewing themselves.
2. Using one hind leg, they move the wax scale to the first pair of legs known as forelegs. From the forelegs, bees transfer the scales to the mandibles.

Through the process of chewing and chewing, bees mix enzymes from their salivary secretions which softens the wax flakes until it becomes formable like clay. Once the wax becomes a clay-like material, bees will combine large groupings of the wax together to create the hexagon-shaped honeycomb. Interestingly, this crowding concept also creates the necessary conditions to keep the hive at the right temperature for honeycomb’s survival.

FYI…By crowding together, bees know how to maintain the hive temperature at 95 degrees F – the perfect temperature for manipulating beeswax. Because bees are expert temperature regulators, they will use a fanning motion with their wings to cool the hive on hot days. Maintaining this temperature is also essential for keeping their Queen warm on cold days.

In summary, bees work tirelessly to produce their honeycombs. Fortunately for us, we get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Honeycomb is an excellent source of antioxidants and carbohydrates. It also has trace amounts of nutrients. Enjoy eating it raw in the form of delicious honeycomb honey as well as a sweetener in homemade desserts. Sprinkle small pieces across a favorite salad or alongside fruit, cheese or as a centerpiece for your next charcuterie board.

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008