Hunajakenno

Hunajakenno is the Finnish term for honeycomb, the hexagonal wax cells built by honeybees within a hive. The comb consists of brood cells used to raise young bees and storage cells for honey and pollen. Built mainly by worker bees, the wax scales are produced in glands and molded into a regular hexagonal pattern that maximizes space while minimizing material.

The hexagonal architecture provides structural strength and efficient use of wax. Brood cells are typically sized to accommodate worker or drone offspring, while storage cells are used for nectar that becomes honey and for pollen stores. Bees may build natural comb on tree trunks or in hollow spaces, and in managed hives, frames can guide or constrain the comb’s shape and size.

In beekeeping, hunajakenno can be built as natural comb or as foundation-supported comb. Foundation comes in wax or plastic forms that give bees a starting pattern, helping to keep brood frames straight and facilitating honey production. Foundationless frames rely on bees to draw their own comb, which can yield more natural brood patterns but may be less uniform.

Harvesting honey from hunajakenno typically involves removing frames and extracting honey from the comb with a centrifuge, or producing “comb honey” where the entire comb is sold or consumed as is. The use of foundation and the decision to allow natural comb versus managed frames influence brood rearing, colony health, and honey yield.

See also: Apiculture, wax, bees, honey, comb foundation.