Nectar is a sweet liquid made by flowers to attract pollinators. It is mostly water and sugar, along with small amounts of amino acids, minerals, vitamins and other plant compounds. For honey bees, nectar is the colony's energy source and the raw material for honey.
What nectar is made of
| Component | What it does for bees |
|---|---|
| Water | The largest part of most nectar. Bees use some for cooling the hive and evaporate the rest when making honey. |
| Sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose) | Energy for flight and for heating the hive. Sugar content varies widely between plants, from watery to quite concentrated. |
| Amino acids | Small amounts; they can affect taste and how attractive nectar is to bees. |
| Minerals and vitamins | Present in trace amounts, such as potassium. |
| Plant compounds | Aromas, pigments and antioxidants that give each honey its flavor and color. |
Nectar has very little protein. Bees get their protein, fats, vitamins and minerals mainly from pollen, which is why a colony needs both.
How bees turn nectar into honey
- Collect. A forager sips nectar and carries it home in her honey stomach, a storage pouch separate from her digestive stomach.
- Add enzymes. Bees add enzymes, including invertase, which splits sucrose into glucose and fructose.
- Evaporate. House bees spread the nectar in cells and fan their wings to dry it until it is around 17 to 18 percent water.
- Cap. Once it is ripe, the bees seal the cell with a wax cap. That honey can keep for a very long time.
Why nectar matters for bee colonies
A colony's honey stores are its fuel. When flowers are blooming, foragers bring in nectar faster than the colony can use it, the population grows, and eventually the colony swarms. That is why most swarms in Southern California show up in spring. See bee swarm season month by month.
Planting nectar-rich flowers helps pollinators. If the bees moved into your house instead of your garden, I'm Eli, and at Eli the Bee Guy I take them out alive and relocate them to local beekeepers. Call or text (626) 487-6052.
Frequently asked questions
What is nectar made of?
Mostly water and sugars, mainly sucrose, glucose and fructose, with small amounts of amino acids, minerals, vitamins and plant compounds.
Does nectar have protein?
Very little. Bees get almost all of their protein from pollen.
How do bees turn nectar into honey?
They add enzymes that break down the sugars and evaporate the water by fanning until the nectar is about 17 to 18 percent water, then seal it in wax cells.
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