Bees store honey in honeycombs. Very few people are allergic to honey. It is a natural sweetener because of its high glucose and fructose content, and is widely used in candies, cereals, and baked goods. There are more than 300 types of honey. Depending on the type of blossoms visited by the honeybee, honey varies in flavor and colors range from pale yellow to dark amber.
Some common honeys are alfalfa, orange blossom, clover, buckwheat, and tupelo.
Honey is produced by nearly every state in the country, but the top-producing states are California, Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. In 1998, the United States produced 89,000 metric tons of honey as compared with the 140,000 metric tons produced by China, the world's leading producer. The National Honey Board 's site includes production statistics, research updates, and information for beekeepers. This helpful chart lists the characteristics of some of the major varieties of honey. In the course of her two-year life span, a queen bee may lay as many as 3,000 eggs a day.