Britannica AI Icon

bee bread

zoology
Also known as: beebread

Quick Summary

Bee bread is a bitter, yellowish-brown substance made of pollen mixed with honey, stored by bees in honeycomb cells for food. Honeybees collect nectar from flowers and process it with enzymes in their stomachs to break down complex sugars into simpler ones like fructose and glucose. This nectar, with a reduced water content, is stored in beeswax cells and eventually becomes honey, a vital food source for bees and their larvae. Pollen, collected separately, provides essential proteins for raising young bees.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.