Updated: 12th February 2021
The short answer is:
Yes, honey bees poop, and the activity of bees pooping has been observed by scientists, beekeepers and nature watchers for a variety of bee species.
As with humans and other creatures, the act of defecating (releasing poop from the body) is important for bees, because it's a valuable bodily function for expelling undigested food wastage from the body.
Adult honey bees are hygienic, and poop outside the hive (although the queen has her poop cleaned out of the hive by the workers). Even in winter when worker bees cannot go outside of the nest or hive to forage, worker honey bees hold on to their poop, but take what is known as ‘cleansing flights’ when they can - these are short flights (weather permitting) when they leave the hive in order to poop.
Beekeepers who recognize bee poop may see it on their windowsill, garden furniture or car. People who live close to a regular honey bee flight path may also see bee poop (although they may not know what it is). In cooler weather, honey bee workers may poop on the beehive itself, since they are less likely to fly far from the hive.
Healthy honey
bee poop is yellow in color, and is somewhat sticky. It might appear as
yellow droplets or a longer sausage shape or 'splat'.
Honey bee
poop has been found to primarily contain bits of undigested pollen fat, pollen
grains from flowers visited, and other waste.
I'm not aware of it being harmful in any way to humans or other animals.
No. Honey is mostly made from nectar collected by
honey bees during foraging trips on flowers.
The honey bee takes the nectar back to the hive in its crop, where it is
passed from bee to bee, whilst adding the bee’s own ingredient (the bee enzyme)
before it is deposited into a cell made of wax where it will be turned into
honey. You can read more about this
process here.
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