Honeycomb

A honeycomb is a special structure made by honey bees from beeswax. Bees build hexagonal prismatic cells in their nests to hold their eggs, larvae, pupae, honey, and pollen. These tiny, perfectly shaped cells fit together like a puzzle, which helps bees use space efficiently.

Beekeepers often take out honeycombs to collect the honey. Bees work very hard to make wax, using about 8.4 pounds of honey to create just one pound of wax. After taking the honey, beekeepers can give the wax back to the bees, who can then use it to build new combs. Sometimes, the old wax is reused to make sheets with a hexagonal pattern, helping bees build new combs more easily.

Over time, broodcomb—the part of the honeycomb where baby bees grow—can become dark from old cocoons and larval skins. Honeycomb in special sections called "supers" that don’t have baby bees stays light-colored. Some other insects, like certain wasps, also build similar structures from paper instead of wax, but we usually don’t call these “honeycombs.”

Geometry

Further information: Patterns in nature

Honeycomb cells are built in a special way that makes them strong and uses less material. The cells are shaped like hexagons, which is a shape that lets bees fit many cells together while using the least amount of wax. This is why honeycombs have this pattern — it’s the most efficient way for bees to build their nests.

The ends of the honeycomb cells are also shaped in a smart way. They are made of three flat surfaces that meet at perfect angles, which helps save even more space and material. Even though the cells look perfect, sometimes they are a little different if bees have to go around something or if they are building cells for different types of bees.

As human food

Honeycomb can be eaten by people as a tasty treat. It contains honey and other natural ingredients from bees, making it a sweet and nutritious snack.