Knowledgebase
Water content of honey #750775
Asked May 19, 2021, 2:42 AM EDT
Los Angeles County California
Expert Response
Water content of capped honey ranges between 13-25%, so bees will cap honey over 18% water content. This honey will ferment faster than honey at a lower water content. This is why beekeepers should always check harvested honey with a refractometer to determine water content. This is primarily based on: floral resources the nectar was collected from as some nectar sources have much higher water contents than others (like clover), when the honey was harvested, climatic conditions, and intensity of nectar flow.
Can honey dry out too much, no. Honey is hygroscopic and will collect moisture from the air so it can never really dry out too much.
As far as sugar concentration detection (water content of honey), this is detected through the gustatory sensors on the antenna.
