Honeycomb Honeycombs are structures made of wax or plant fibers used by bees and wasps to build their nests. Divided into cells called alveoli, combs are used to store food or for brood development. The arrangement of honeycombs in the colonies and the shape of the alveoli vary according to the bee species. In the case of Apis mellifera bees, the honeycombs are built upright, with wax produced by the workers themselves, and the alveoli are hexagonal in shape.