Kids love the new Honey Bee Garden at NC Zoo North American habitat. Watch a living bee hive, get the inside scoop on the colonies and learn about the wonderful benefits of honey!

Honey Bees are the most important insect pollinator in the Carolina. A critical link in the local agriculture, they help sustain $200 million worth of fruits, vegetables, cotton, alfalfa and soybeans crops.

How sweet it is…
• Honey is 25% sweeter than sugar and will never spoils if stored unopened at room temperature
• Honey is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free!
• Honey has anti oxidants that may help fight cancer; anti bacterial and anti fungal properties

The Queen, Drones and Bee Hive Wonder
• The Queen lives up to 5 years, almost 50 times more than the average bee! Pampered from the minute is born, the Queen is fed only Royal Jelly. She lays 1,500 to 2,000 eggs every day!
• The males have no stinger but feature big eyes to more easily spot the Queen. Their sole task is to fertilize eggs and they die as soon as finish mating with the Queen…
• 20,000 bees live and work in specialized groups inside the hive. The wax comb serves as both nursery and pantry.
• 550 bees will make 1 pound of honey after visiting 2 million flowers. One bee will produce 1/12 teaspoon of honey during its 40 days lifespan!

Magic Honey Powers
• Since ancient times honey has been used to treat sore throats and colds.
• Propolis (mix of tree sap and bees wax) has antiseptic, anti-fungal, antibiotic and even antiviral properties.
• Beeswax is a critical cosmetics ingredient: non-allergic, holds color and scent and spreads evenly when heated to our body temperature. It is widely used in soaps, lotions and fragrances.
• Honey is very effective in treating burns. It has antibacterial properties and absorbs moisture from the air keeping burns from drying out and causing skin damage.
• Honey is great for cooking and is food for larvae, adult bees and animals.

Now that you developed a hearty appetite stop at Junction Plaza for fresh-dough finger licking pizza, ice-cream and other cool treats. Parents relax while kids scream with joy riding on the carousel ($2) or embark on a 4D Safari in Wild Africa ($3).

Tummy full and exhilarated it’s time for Africa’s exhibits, where elephants, rhinos, giraffes, gorillas and lions rule!

Honey is money at North Carolina Zoo!

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