Why do honeybees make honey?

To feed the bees in their colony. A large colony of honeybees has up to 80,000 bees. They eat nearly 500 pounds (225 kg) of honey a year. Honeybees collect nectar from flowers and bring it back to the hive, or nest. Other bees place the nectar into six-sided cells, where it changes into honey. The bees eat some honey and feed some to the larvae. They store the rest for winter feeding or for rainy days. The stored honey is what beekeepers collect—and you eat.