The Storing and Ripening of Honey by Honeybees

This paper deals principally with the activities of bees engaged in storing and ripening honey. The nectar-carrier, upon her return from the field, delivers her load to one or more house-bees. These house-bees then put the nectar through a process which apparently reduces its water content and probably permits of the addition of enzymes such as invertase. The process is described in detail. The partly ripened nectar is then deposited in the cells where further ripening takes place.