SWARMS
It's a bee colony's reproductive behavior. Can you and should you stop it in your apiary? How to catch swarms, and more.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
WAX & OTHER HIVE PRODUCTS
Wax, propolis, pollin, bee venim for lip balm, tinctures, soap and more. It's not just about the honey!
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
TYPES OF HONEY
RAW Honey - First and foremost, we are huge believers in eating RAW honey. Pasteurization kills many of the health benefits of honey and what you're left with is a nice, sweet, empty product. On the other hand, raw honey has antibacterial & antifungal properties, antioxidants, wound healing properties, and many other health benefits. Go to a local farmers market, get to know a local beekeeper and buy local raw honey.
Organic Honey - Anytime we see a honey label claiming to be organic it's time to take a breath and pause. Bees can travel over two miles in any direction to forage for food and water. Have you talked to the beekeeper? Does he or she have control over any and all chemicals being used in that large of an area so that they can guarantee their honey is organic? It's difficult enough to not use any chemicals in caring for bees, but to guarantee none are being used in a 16 square mile radius of beehives is nearly impossible. So when we see the word 'organic' on a honey label we always take it with a grain of salt.
Generic Liquid Honey - This is the stuff we grew up eating, the traditional liquid honey that is squeezed out of a bear. This honey is most often bought at a grocery store and is usually pasteurized and mixed in large batches for a consistent flavor. Much of this honey is imported and/or cut with cheaper additives like high fructose corn syrup and even water. Enough said, we believe in raw, local honey, period.
Cut Comb Honey - Ah, now we're really getting back to nature. The other honeys described in this section are all extract (separated) from the wax comb they were originally stored in by the bees. Cut comb honey is produced by beekeepers using frames or top bars with no artificial foundation. The beekeeper harvests this honey by cutting squares that contain the original bees wax and honey without separating them. The consumer lucky enough to get cut comb honey eats the honey and wax together. Oh, and in case you're wondering, you can either swallow the wax or spit it out.
Creamed/Crystalized Honey - Every batch of honey is different depending on the nectar the bees foraged. Some nectars crystalize easier than others, but most honey will crystalize over time, especially at cooler temperatures. Crystalized honey has not gone bad, it has just changed consistency. Many of us love eating crystalized honey, but if your preference is a more liquid consistency, simply warm the honey slowly until it reliquifies. If you are using the pasteurized honey from the grocery store you can heat it as quickly and as hot as you like, after all the goodness has already been cooked out of it. But if you have raw honey and want to retain its best properties, heat it SLOWLY. Some people put a jar of crystalized honey in warm water (under 120 degrees F) for a few hours. A preferred method is to put the honey jar in a sunny window and let the heat of the sun gradually liquify it.
'Creamed' honey is also crystalized, but in a more controlled way to keep crystals small enough that the honey thickens instead of becoming grainy. Many honey producers also whip their creamed honey to infuse it with air making it more light and fluffy. Some honeys take on a creamy texture all by themselves if they are made of the right nectars and stored in controlled, cooler temperatures. Either way, honey that needs a knife or spoon to serve out of it's jar can be an amazing experience.
Manuka Honey - Props to the honey association marketing geniuses in New Zealand that introduced Manuka honey to the world. Gathered from bees foraging in New Zealand's Manuka trees, this honey is said to have nutritional properties superior to other raw honey. Lab tests show MGO (Methylglyoxal) as the main antibacterial compound in Manuka honey. UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) is a test certifying the authenticity of this honey. Does it live up to the hype? Do you like the flavor more or less than other honey? If it costs more it must be better, right? Try it for yourself and let us know what you think...
Himalayan 'Mad' Honey - This honey was recently made famous (or infamous) on Joe Rogan's super popular podcast. High in the mountains of Nepal, dense groves of a special rhododendron plant grow wild and produce pink and red flowers in late spring. The nectar from these flowers creates a neurotoxin that local bees forage and make honey with. This deep red honey is said to have mystical, medicinal and psychoactive properties that local cultures use as a hallucinogen and euphoric stimulant. The editors at Hobby Beekeepers have not tried it, but if you have, feel free to send us a review of your personal experience.
Flavors - No two batches of honey are exactly the same; the flavor is completely dependent on the nectar gathered by the bees. Honey lovers are like fine wine connoisseurs and use many of the same adjectives to describe different honeys. Some honeys are more sweet, some more earthy, while others have richer aromas and flavors. Some honey even smells and tastes like dirty socks! The American Honey Tasting Society holds professional tasting classes where students can become true tasting experts.
https://www.americanhoneytastingsociety.com/
26 Types of Honey and What Makes Them Unique:
https://www.mashed.com/865671/types-of-honey-and-what-makes-them-unique/
