How much do you know about bees and honey making? What makes local, raw honey special? As a local beekeeper committed to sustainable beekeeping and ensuring the long term health and safety of our local bees, we aim to educate the local St. Louis community about all things related to honey and bees. We have compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions on nature’s golden elixir below.
To learn more about our local honey for sale, find out where you can buy our products, or get answers to other questions you have, call us at 314-574-9554 or reach out online.
A Guide to Bees and Honey
How does pollen figure in to honey production?
Contrary to popular belief, honey is not made from pollen but from the nectar of flowers and plants. Bees inadvertently bring pollen back to the hive and utilize it as a food source for their offspring, known as the "brood". Pollen may be introduced in honey during the extraction process. There is a minuscule amount of pollen in local raw honey, which is sometimes analyzed to identify the primary floral source.
How do bees make honey?
Older worker bees, also known as foragers, leave the hive to find flowers full of nectar. They drink this nectar and store it in a unique organ known as the honey stomach. A foraging bee will visit around 50 to 100 flowers until its stomach is filled with nectar.
Once the nectar arrives in the honey stomach, enzymes break it down from complex sugars into simpler ones to prevent it from crystallizing, a process known as inversion. When their stomach is full, the foragers return to the hive and give the partially broken down nectar to a younger bee. This bee, and several others, continue to break down the sugars and remove most of the water.
When the nectar has become thick and sticky, thanks also to evaporation caused by the hive’s heat and the bees flapping their wings, it is time to store it into the honeycomb. Bees then fill individual cells with this syrupy substance which is now honey.
Finally, after a cell is filled with honey, and the moisture content is correct it is capped with beeswax as a preservation measure for later use.
Why is honey filtered?
Honey undergoes filtration to remove impurities such as wax, pollen, air bubbles, and bee parts. Filtration helps lend honey its transparent look. It also allows for delayed crystallization and gives honey a longer shelf-life. Note that all honey, including local raw honey, crystallizes eventually.
Can eating local raw honey help with allergies?
The science on local honey curing allergies is limited. Some studies have found honey to be an anti-histamine agent for certain types of allergic illnesses. On the other hand, experts claim that allergies are caused mostly by wind-blown pollen not typically found in local raw honey. While an absence of evidence does not automatically imply evidence of absence, it is rational to assume that local honey will not act like a silver bullet for allergies.
Why does local raw honey look and taste different from what I usually buy at the store?
Different flowers produce nectar with varying colors, resulting in honey that ranges in color from nearly colorless to dark brown, and flavors varying from mild to bold. Our raw, local honey produces a much richer and more flavorful taste than the heated and pasteurized honey typically bought in stores.
Why is sustainable beekeeping important?
Bees play a vital role in the ecosystem. Sustainable beekeeping focuses on practices that keep bees healthy, minimize environmental impact, and reduce the need to buy replacement bees from out of the State.
Why should I buy local raw honey?
Sooty Bee honey is from a local beekeeper in St. Charles, MO. Our honey is exclusively from local flora, offering only pure, local, raw honey. Here is a list of our products:
- Honey
- Creamed honey
- Specialty flavored honey (walnut, pecan, bourbon and seasonal flavors)
- Honeycomb
- Lip balm
- Candles
Check product availability and place your order by contacting us at 314-574-9554.
Learn More About Local Raw Honey from Our St. Louis Beekeeper
Want to learn more about the difference that local honey makes or get answers to your bee questions? Contact us to learn more or find out where you can find our local honey for sale.