After bees are placed in their hives they go about setting up house. Attendants tend to releasing the queen and making sure she is fed. Workers start building comb to house the new brood the queen will lay, the flying bees will collect honey and pollen to be stored in the comb as well. These will be the bees food stores and if we are blessed they will make enough for them and us!
Natural unprocessed honey is a superfood known to aid in digestive problems, wound healing, and general health. Honey contains antioxidants (the darker the honey the more it contains), is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. It can be used topically to heal wounds. This is why honey has been used as a face mask to help heal acne. It is reported that a diet containing local honey can assist in deterring allergies to local plant pollen. Honey should not be given to children under 1 year of age.
Bees use pollen to make "bee bread". Using the same bacteria used to make some cheeses, the bees ferment the pollen and use it for food. It is made up of 55% carbohydrates, 35% proteins, 3% minerals and vitamins, 2% fatty acids, and 5%, 188 types of fungi and 29 types of bacteria (the good kind!) Bee bread is the honey bees main supply of protein. Many people use bee pollen as a daily supplement.
Propolis is a resinous substance that bees make from the sticky coating of tree leaf buds, sap and other sticky plant secretions. The bees gather the substance then fortify the hive with it making the hive more stable, to reduce vibration, and for general hive health since it is anti-bacterial. If, for some reason, a small animal was to get into and die in the hive and it was too big for the bees to carry out, they would encase the carcass in propolis to prevent rotting and disease. The propolis also water and pest proofs the hive. Humans use propolis for its reported health benefits such as an anti-inflammatory, to treat viral diseases, ulcers, heart disease and to boost the immune system.
Bees are fascinating creatures and provide us so many benefits. I can't wait until mine make enough products to share with me. In the meantime I'll try my best to see that they are getting everything they need to excel.
Next post will be pictures and narrative on my growing hives.
Thanks for stopping by!