Unique Muskoka August
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Article by John Challis<br />
Photography by Eleanor Kee Wellman<br />
Out in the garden right now, a bit of magic is<br />
going on.<br />
Single-minded bees barely two centimetres<br />
long are dipping into flowers, guzzling their own body<br />
weight in nectar. Back at the hive, workers are collecting<br />
digested nectar from the gatherers as they arrive, passing<br />
them along in a bee bucket brigade to the honeycomb.<br />
Digestive enzymes in each bee are breaking down the<br />
nectar into a sweet goo.<br />
The bees beat their wings around the nectar now<br />
resting in combs to evaporate water content. As it<br />
evaporates it becomes the sticky ambrosia we call honey.<br />
The honey gets a cap of wax for storage. It takes more<br />
than 10,000 bees sipping at about eight million flowers<br />
17 UNIQUE MUSKOKA <strong>August</strong> 2016
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