Bees are More Than Honey

Honeybees and other pollinators are an essential part of herbal medicine (even if you never use honey, wax, pollen, or propolis) because many herbs rely on pollinators to reproduce.

Honey is an especially magical medicine. Flower nectar is transformed into honey by these tiny flying girls, who might as well be fairies. Honey from a responsibly managed apiary is sacred food. Bees do not have to kill to survive. They get everything they need from the plants around them. They are creators, in perfect harmony with nature. They are also fierce, but only when they need to be.

In my opinion, honey is the least valuable product of an apiary (which only points to how amazing all the others are). Honey never goes bad. It can be used to preserve and enhance other medicines (my honey garlic has been on the counter for almost 2 years- raw garlic alone would never last that long). It can be used to make bitter medicines taste good (hops tea? no thank you! but I'll gladly eat some hops infused honey). It is frequently used topically to speed wound healing. Many people claim that eating local honey helps with their allergies. On top of all that, it is highly valued as a food. When we focus on honey production, the health of the colony eventually suffers. Bees are more than honey! It is very important to strive for a mutually beneficial relationship with our bees. Think about the relationship between bees and plants. The flower offers nectar and pollen to sustain the bees, and the bees help the flower to produce seeds. Both benefit equally. If we take care of them, they will take care of us.

I do not keep bees for their honey, rather the honey is a byproduct of sharing my space with the bees.