How Can Flies Make Honey?

Flies are not only pests, but they are also an important part of agriculture. Scientists are discovering ways to use flies to benefit our food production. Farmers can attract flies to orchards and fields, or even use them in greenhouses and growing tunnels. As the global demand for food increases, flies will be an increasingly vital part of our food security.

Bees produce honey as a by-product of their work. While we are familiar with bees as our food source, other insect species also make honey. Wasps, for example, make small amounts of honey, but not enough for us to eat. Some wasp species turn their excess nectar into honey.

Bees are related to flies, but are not the same. Bees are larger than flies and their bodies are covered in hair. Bees have long, cylindrical antennae. Bees produce beeswax, which is an important component of honey. However, flies do not produce beeswax or honey.

Bees make honey from a variety of plants. They collect nectar from two million flowers in order to produce one pound of honey. This nectar will fuel a bee’s flight around the globe. On a single collection trip, a bee will visit as many as 50 to 100 flowers.