How does a bee live on just honey?

Bees use nectar and pollen for their primary source of nourishment. During the winter they eat honey but sparingly.

How do pandas live on primarily bamboo?

How do anteaters live on primarily ants and termites?

Well, bees make honey from nectar and sap. The larva eat it. They just evolved to survive on pollen and nectar.

I think the question is, from what it seems is sugar alone, how is it possible for proteins to construct the wings and overall from such a diet.

@gailcalled How do pandas live on primarily bamboo anyways? I’m guessing it has just the right amount of proteins and nutrients for that bear?

Well, here are the chemical components of honey. If they listed all of that on the honey jar people would be dropping honey left and right!

Sugar contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. These are the basic building blocks of every living thing from single cell bacteria to giant redwoods. Take trees for example they are primarily made from carbon dioxide and water.

@Lightlyseared Nitrogen and Phosphorus are also required for all life though they’re not in sugar. They are in honey, though. A few dozen other trace elements are also required, from Molybdenum to Sulfur, but many of these are in honey or located elsewhere in the bees’ diet, such as in water.

@BhacSsylan. I know. That’s why I used the term basic. It was not meant as complete step by step description on how to assemble a living organism.

Fair enough, but Nitrogen and Phosphorous are also basic. You need them for DNA.