Little did we know that sweat bees, the pesky gnat like creatures that buzz around your head and get in your hair, especially when you’re hot and sweaty, (hence our nickname for them) actually make tasty honey? We knew that they could make a sticky hard-to-remove glob of wax. We knew that they could gum up a keyhole like nobody’s business. We knew that they love to make tube tunnels into window and door frames to make their homes. I actually also knew that they have an affinity for my dark bluegreen dress – I have had them start to make a waxy mess up the sleeve, in just a few hours’ time on the clothesline, why that particular dress? Who knows. We discovered, as our welder friend, Serge, was reinforcing the bolts on our anti-theft window bars, that they make delicious honey. In order for Serge to get to the bolts, the wooden window frames and removable sills had to be scooted back. All the bedroom and bathroom windows in the vacant house next door (sometimes used by short termers and guests) had honey factories in the frames. Here are Sylvie and Antonio enjoying some honey! The honeycomb is very different looking, like little bulbs on stalks. I wonder if there are larva in the bulbs, like in regular honey bee combs?
