Propolis - Nature's Antibiotic

Propolis

During cold and flu season everyone seems to have their own magical cure ... and I am no different! Mine, of course, comes from the hive. The minute someone sneezes or coughs I am very quick to recommend, and usually share, my no fail cure, propolis!!

Most people know that bees collect nectar and pollen (or they should if they're reading my blog!!) Honey bees also collect resin from trees. Preferably conifer and poplar trees. This is carried back to the hive on her back legs, just like pollen. This resin is mixed with a little bit of wax and water and becomes an incredibly sticky product called propolis.

Propolis in the hive

Propolis in the hive

Those innovative honey bees have thought of everything, including an all-purpose antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral substance. With up to 60,000 individual honey bees in one hive, it's important to maintain a clean environment. 

If that isn't amazing enough, propolis is also the perfect compound to seal and water-proof the bee hive! A drafty location does not present a problem. Propolis production goes into high gear and every crack and hole is sealed with this multipurpose 'bee glue.' This effectively weather-proofs a hive. When you see bee boxes stacked, you can be assured each box is securely 'glued' to the one above and below with a generous amount of propolis.

Every cell in the hive is polished with propolis. A queen bee will inspect each cell for cleanliness before she's willing to lay a precious egg in it. Honey cells are also sterilized with propolis.

Propolis for beekeepers

For beekeepers working in the hives, propolis is a bit of a nuisance. It is very sticky, and pulling boxes, or supers, apart to check hives requires special tools to break the propolis seal. Although, a hive full of propolis is generally going to be a healthy hive!

Propolis for all of us

Honey bees use propolis to sterilize their hive, we use it as a natural antibiotic. Unlike honey, propolis is not sweet and does not taste good. Even so, millions of people continue to take it in its various forms.

Propolis in capsule form

Capsules. Probably the easiest form to take. This convenient way allows you to enjoy all the benefits, without the nasty taste.

Propolis in spray form

Liquid spray. This direct application method is most effective for sore throats, sores in the mouth or dental/gum issues. There is the unpleasant taste factor, but the effectiveness makes it well worthwhile. In this form, propolis should be in everybody's first aid kit. It is amazing for disinfecting and healing cuts, abrasions and also bug bites/stings.

Tincture. For children and people who can't swallow capsules, this is a nice option. A few drops can be added to a small glass of juice, usually masking the taste. Propolis is highly recommended in this form for topical application.

Propolis in powder form

Powder. This versatile option is the most potent and can be added to other applications. It is often included in soaps, creams and ointments, or mixed with a little bit and honey for a stronger dose.

Propolis as a medical treatment

Kills bacteria

Treat asthma

Prevents cavities

Anticancer activity

Reduces heat stress

Treatment for warts

Treat food poisoning

Treat food poisoning

Lowers blood pressure

Treat seasonal allergies

Anti-inflammatory effects

Promotes athletic performance

Reduces fat and cholesterol levels

Protects against cell phone radiation

Helps build and maintain healthy bone tissue

Propolis and general health

I like to take one or two propolis capsules daily to maintain a healthy immune system. If I think I might be getting sick, I simply up the dose!

In the past, studies on beekeepers have shown they tend to be one of the healthiest, long-living groups of people. It was discovered, that while they tend to sell most of the honey their hives produce, they were eating the 'hive droppings' which consist mainly of propolis and bee pollen. Today, these 'hive droppings' are purposefully collected and shared with the rest of the population. Interesting!!


This is just another amazing product that is so good for us from that most amazing creature, the honey bee.

Propolis



Beeswax Candles

Most people are familiar with the lovely ambiance of a burning beeswax candle. Aside from pure enjoyment, there are other reasons that should make beeswax your candle of choice.

There is the beautiful soft light and delicate fragrance exclusive to a beeswax candle. But, on a more practical note … a beeswax candle will burn longer, hotter and burns negative ions. This means it is literally cleaning the air you breathe. Paraffin candles, by the way, are a petroleum product.

History

Beeswax candles have a long and important history with humans. The Egyptians are given credit for the very first beeswax candle, and this around 3000 BC. Through many thousands of years it remained the cleanest, and most pleasant smelling, source of light.

Wax Production – a honey bee’s perspective

Wax flakes on a worker bee's abdomen

The important job of wax production falls to, of course, the amazing worker bee. At some point during her first three weeks in the hive as a house bee she will produce wax. She has eight glands on her abdomen (last part of her body) that produce very thin pieces of wax.

Capped and uncapped honey comb

Comb hanging from a frame

Obviously bees are pretty happy with a dark hive and do not require wax for candles and light. Wax for them is the perfect storage solution. They use the paper-thin pieces of wax to make comb. Comb is beeswax shaped into perfect hexagon cells. These cells are used to store honey, pollen and propolis, or used by the queen to lay eggs.

Bee chain hanging from frame on left

Like everything in a beehive, it’s a community affair and building comb is no exception. A bee chain is created. The wax producing bees hand the wax pieces to the construction bees. Construction bees chew, soften and shape the wax. It is then handed to the engineer bees that place the wax to create those amazing, perfect hexagons.

Comb with a couple layers

A look down at some tunnels

Some engineer honey bees tend to be a little more artistic and design some beautiful comb structures! Since worker bees are all female … they like to coordinate the color of wax. A light colored cell will receive a light colored cap, and a dark colored cell will receive a dark colored cap. Makes perfectly good sense to me!

Wax Production – a beekeeper’s perspective

Beekeepers generally only harvest the wax caps (or cappings) that were cut off the frames to allow the honey to be spun out. The rest of the wax cells are left on the wooden frame/plastic foundation and stored for next year. This way, the bees can do a little cell repair work and put their time and energy into filling the cells with honey.

Sticky bits of wax and honey

Cappings are usually a pretty sticky mess of honey and beeswax. A bit of a daunting task to separate, not to mention, extremely messy! The first step is to soak and rinse as much honey off the wax as possible. This is definitely an outside job. Honey is a very good compound if you want to plug drainpipes!

With that accomplished, the wax needs to be filtered. The wax cappings are heated in a solar oven and filtered through paper towel. You are left with a clean, filtered block of beeswax ready to be made in candles.

Finished beeswax candle

This is the fun part! Beeswax should always be melted in a double boiler as it is quite flammable. Once in a liquid state and at the proper temperature, it is poured into a candle mold with a wick and left to dry and harden. Once removed, the wick will be trimmed and it’s ready to enjoy!!

Not only is honey a precious commodity, beeswax is may be even more precious! Wax production is very labor intensive for bees. Honey bees must consume between six to eight pounds of honey in order to produce only one pound of wax!!

All About Honey

Honey bee hives in fireweed

I have often had people ask for ‘regular’ honey. Usually, they have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for, but technically, there is no such thing. ‘Regular’ honey generally is referring to local honey, and local honey can be dramatically different depending on where you live!

Honey comes in many different forms

Here are some of the most common terms used to describe honey.

·        Raw Honey – is honey that has never been heated. In other words, honey that has been packaged in jars or containers right out of the extractor. Quite often you will find raw honey in a crystallized state.

·        Crystallized Honey – is pure honey that has started to granulate or become solid. This is a process that all honey will go through and does not mean your honey has gone bad. In fact, honey is the only food that never, ever goes bad! If you’re an ancient history buff, you will know that honey has been found in Egyptian tombs. Some people prefer to use crystallized honey when baking as they feel the honey ‘acts’ more like sugar. How fast a honey crystallizes is based on a few variables.

o   The type of nectar collected by the bees. For example, Dandelion Honey crystallizes so quickly, it can crystallize in the wax honey cells before the beekeeper can even get it extracted!

o   The temperature honey is stored at. The cooler the temperature, the faster crystallization will occur. Freezing honey will prevent crystallization, while putting your honey in the fridge will guarantee crystallization.

·        Liquid Honey – is crystallized honey that has been warmed to return it to a liquid state. Liquid honey has not been heated to the point of pasteurization. Once heated, liquid honey will again start to crystallize as mentioned above.

Honey comb, a sweet treat

         Comb Honey – is the most natural honey you can get – almost as good as dipping your fingers right into a hive, only without the risk of getting stung! With comb honey, you are getting the honey right inside the wax comb made by the bees. The wax can be chewed and swallowed (you’re getting a larger dose of propolis with comb honey, which is always beneficial), chewed like gum, or spit out.

·      

        Creamed Honey – is honey that has been whipped. It becomes smooth and creamy, and you are less likely to wear it when you put it on a piece of toast! Whipping liquid or raw honey will create creamed honey. Creamed honey retains the same taste and health benefits of liquid honey.

·        Pasteurized Honey – is honey that has been heated to 60^oC (149^oF) for 30 minutes or more. Once pasteurized, all the enzymes that make honey healthy are killed. You now just have another sweetener. Pasteurized honey may also contain other fillers, such as water.

Honey bee in alfalfa blossom

Location, location, location

When it comes to making a specific type of honey, it is all about location. Being incredibly efficient workers, our foraging bees will collect from the closest nectar source. The type of nectar will determine the color, taste and crystallization rate of the honey made. The beekeeper will strategically place hives in or beside fields of the desired nectar to be collected.

Types of honey

Alfalfa honey from Saskatchewan

Alfalfa honey is one of the most common types of honey found in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Bees placed next to alfalfa fields will make a nice, sweet, fairly light honey that still has a strong enough ‘honey’ taste. I like this one in my coffee and on my toast!!

Fireweed honey from the Yukon

Fireweed honey is a much-coveted honey. The beautiful fireweed flower is only available in abundance for a couple of years after a forest fire. Beekeepers place their hives in the burned out section of forest so the bees can take advantage of the multitude of fireweed blossoms. This honey is among the lightest, almost being completely clear. It has a light sweet taste, and is a favorite among non-honey lovers. It is very nice in tea, on toast or biscuit, or straight off a spoon!

Dandelion honey from BC interior

Everyone is pretty familiar with the dandelion. As more and more research is done on dandelions, we’re beginning to realize what the bees knew all along. Not only do dandelions taste good, they’re full of good things for us!! As one of the first flowers that bloom in the spring, this nectar is very important to begin replenishing the depleted winter stores in the hive. To harvest dandelion, the beekeeper puts a super on a strong hive early in the spring and removes it before the other flowers emerge. It is a strong tasting honey with a distinct flavor. Chefs like to cook with it for that reason. I prefer to think of it as a little taste of spring on a spoon!

Manuka honey from New Zealand

If you travel a little further afield … say, to New Zealand … you’re bound to find some Manuka honey. There have been tons and tons of studies done on the medicinal benefits of this honey. It’s a smooth, creamy, darker honey. Its strong flavor has a decidedly medicinal taste with a hint of black licorice. This is also one of my favorites, but used sparingly due to its high cost!

Freshly poured honey New Zealand

Here is another New Zealand honey. It's a combination of local wild flowers. I haven't had the pleasure of trying this one. It's from Liz and Jordan's hives. I'm hoping they will have some left, and room in a suitcase to bring me some!! 

This one is labeled ‘Nest Honey.’ It’s from Inner Mongolia. Despite my attempts at trying to get my translator to ask appropriate honey questions … something got lost in translation, and I really don’t know what nectar source this is actually from. It was packaged with a piece of comb in the honey. It has a strong, interesting taste, but not one I particularly like.

Berry honeys tend to be very popular with a mild hint of the berry blossom the nectar came from. Some of the ones I’m familiar with are blueberry, cranberry, raspberry (a personal favorite!) and blackberry. Orange blossom also makes for a delicious citrus-type honey.

The different types of honey and accompanying flavors are endless. The general rule is, the darker the honey, the stronger the taste and the higher the health benefits!

Trying local honey when you travel is a lot of fun! It is truly amazing how much difference the nectar source can make!!