Hello All:
 
I just finished reading a beekeeping script from the "Developing Countries
Farm Radio Network" (a most commendable organization).  In the script is a
paragraph on how bees make honey.  It says:
 
"Bees collect a thick liquid called nectar from the flowers of many plants.
They take the nectar back to the hive and pass it on to the bees that are
living in the hive.  As the nectar is passed from bee to bee, it loses a lot
of water and the concentration of sugar in the nectar increases greatly.
The final product is honey.  The bees store the honey in the cells of combs
that they build in their hive."
 
Now, I have always thought that it is the depositting of nectar in small
droplets in the cell and the fanning of the bees that is the main method of
drying.  I know that many others on this list must think the same, for their
has been much discussion in the past about the amount of space needed for
nectar drying, and also concerning the importance of ventilation.
 
However, it is true that a lot of "nectar sharing" goes on in the hive, and
I know that it is not long before traces of a radioactively marked sample of
nectar given to one forager will show up in many or most of the bees in the
hive.  Is there a contribution to the drying process in nectar sharing?  And
if so, of how much importance is it?
 
The script seems to have good information sources, and was reviewed by an
apiculturist who was (and may still be) on this list.
 
Regards, Stan