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. When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the gut's terminal opening. Ants and wasps may eat honeydew. Ants may even "milk" the honeydew from aphids, which benefit from the presence of ants due to their ability to drive away predators such as lady beetles. Some honey bees gather honeydew and process it into a dark, strong honey (honeydew honey) that is highly prized in parts of Europe and Asia for its reputed medicinal value. Honeydew can cause sooty mold on many ornamental plants, a bane of gardeners. Aphids, the producers of honeydew, can severely harm flowers.
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