Honeydew (secretion)

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Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky substance secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. Ants and wasps may eat honeydew (ants may even "milk" the honeydew from aphids), while honeybees gather it and process it into a dark, strong honey that is highly prized in parts of Europe and Asia for its reputed medicinal value. Aphids benefit from the presence of ants because they will drive away aphid predators such as lady beetles. Many trees host aphids that are a honeydew source. Honeydew can cause sooty mold on many ornamental plants, a bane of gardeners.

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