Honey is produced by bees of the genus Apis and stingless bees (Melipona - a tribe in the bee family, which includes about 250 species found in the tropics or subtropics).

They carry flower nectar or honeydew to the hives. Under the influence of enzymes and formic acid, sucrose is converted into glucose and fructose in the bee’s digestive tract (a mixture of these simple sugars is commonly called inverted sugar).