Is it a Bee?
Many people confuse bees with the yellow jackets or wasps and sometimes bumblebees. Honeybees live in big colonies that persist from year to year. They live on stored honey during the winter. A small colony has 5,000 bees. A big colony can have up to 60,000. Honey bees range from a amber to a brown translucent with black strips, with short hairs.
Yellow Jackets or Wasps
Black and opaque. Yellow with black markings. No hairs. Their nest Bumblebee & honey bee is paper-like and usually last for just one season. They can be very defensive when their nest is disturbed.
Bumblebees
Mostly black with wide yellow strips. With short hairs. About twice the size of a honeybee. Typical bumblebee nests are in holes or cavities in the ground.
Why do bees make honey?
It is their food store when nectar is not accessible. It is like having money in the bank for the bees.
What is honey?
About 83% sugar and 17% water. It is a complex mix of sugars.
My honey has crystallized and is no longer clear. What should I do?
Put the glass jar of honey in hot water. Heat slowly until it is clear. Do not heat honey in plastic containers.
Will local honey cure my hay fever or help my asthma?
Probably not, but it worth a try. The idea is that pollen is trapped in honey and eating it will make you resistant to allergens. This will not work because the pollen bees collect is not the same pollen that causes hay fever. However the power of belief has shown proven results!
Does honey go bad? Does it have a “best before” date?
No. honey changes extremely slowly and if sealed will never be uneatable. honey was recently found in an Egyptian tomb with honey still eatable. Most commercial honey is given a date of 2 years after it is bottled, but it might as well be for 10 years.
Do all bees make honey? Do Yellow Jackets?
No, only honey bees make a surplus of honey. Bumble bees store just enough for themselves for a few days as they don’t overwinter. Yellow Jackets eat nectar and honey but only as a food source for themselves. They are not capable of storing it in their nest.