Bees in the Philadelphia region are taking the sticky secretion left behind by spotted lanternflies and turning it into honey — and local beekeepers are taking full advantage of it, writes Conner Barkon for KYW Newsradio.

One of them is Don Shump, founder and owner of Philadelphia Bee Co., which has nine hive locations throughout the city.

According to him, the spotted lanternfly honey business is booming.

“If you watch the bees that are coming into the entrance, you’ll see some of them have little piles hanging off their back legs,” said Shump. “Those are girls that are bringing in feed.”

Bees most often create honey by processing nectar they collect from flowers in a special organ that breaks it down into simple sugars. Most recently, sugar-loving honeybees have started seeking out the tree-destroying dew left behind by spotted lanternflies.

“Because it’s just sugar water, bees can collect it and make it into honey like any other nectar source,” said Shump.

While some beekeepers think spotted lanternfly honey is too weird, Shump has sold out his variety each year since its debut in 2020, even with a $14 price tag.

Read more about Philadelphia’s booming honey business in KYW Newsradio.

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