In this article, we will answer the question “Can you eat honey from a dead hive?”, and how to clean and extract the honey from the comb?
Can you eat honey from a dead hive?
Yes, you can eat honey from a dead hive. Make sure that the honey is still fresh and does not show any signs of contamination or fermentation. If the hive has been recently treated with chemicals then honey from that hive is not safe for eating.
Make sure to check the following before consuming honey from a dead hive:
- It has not been exposed to temperatures above 37°C
- It shows no sign of fermentation
Make sure you properly clean your honey before consumption. Read on if you want to know how to clean dead hives for consumption.
How to clean and extract honey from a dead hive?
- Bang the hive frames against a wall to remove the dead honeybees. With the help of a brush, remove all the dirt like poop and dead bee parts.
- Examine your hive for the presence of any disease.
- Store the hive frames in the refrigerator or in presence of natural light to avoid the growth of wax moths and molds.
- Extract pure raw honey from the hives by either crushing the frames or using an extractor.
How is honey produced?
A honeybee hive consist of three types of bees:
- A female queen bee
- Male drone bees that fertilize the eggs from the queen bee
- Worker bees
All these work in harmony to make honeybee and safely store the deposited honey by sealing it with beeswax that solidifies and protects the honeycomb structure.
Honeybees collect nectar from nearby flowers using their proboscis. It gets stored in the bees’ stomach and is about 70 to 80% water. The sugars in nectar are digested using salivary enzymes. This regurgitated nectar is then transferred via mouth to the other bees of the hive until it is partially digested.
The resulting nectar has a water content of about 50-70%. Honeybees reduce the water content by flapping their wings to facilitate evaporation. The resulting nectar is high in sugar which is perfect for safe storage and is finally deposited in the combs.
What are the different types of honey?
Honey has over 25 different types. Following are the top 7 types of honey.
Clover honey
Clover honey is light amber colored and has a mild floral and sweet taste. It is a go-to option to use as a sweetener in baking or making sauces and dressings. Clover honey is known for treating cough and flu.
Buckwheat honey
Honeybees collect nectar from buckwheat flowers to make buckwheat honey. This type is deeply colored anywhere from dark purple to brown or amber-colored with a red tint to it.
It is an excellent choice to add color and a sweet hint to your marinades. It has great antimicrobial properties
Acacia honey
Acacia honey has an amber color and a sweet and floral taste. Due to its high fructose content, this is a great sugar substitute for diabetics. This type has excellent anti-bacterial and anti-cancerous properties.
Manuka honey
This dark-colored honey is extracted from the tea tree bushes. This type of honey is known for its medicinal properties and is widely used to treat burns and ulcers. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it can be used to treat IBS and acne.
Wildflower honey
This type of honey is made from the nectars of different flavors, hence, its taste varies seasonally. Wildflower honey has light fruity and complex flavors. It is best known to treat cough and allergies.
Tupelo honey
Tupelo honey is very sweet, mild, and expensive. It has a light amber color and a high fructose content that prevents it from crystallizing in storage. Tupelo honey has excellent anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties.
Eucalyptus honey
This honey has a medicinal taste like methanol and herbs. It combats colds and flu and helps in healing wounds.
Other FAQs about Honey which you may be interested in.
How to keep honey from going to sugar?
Health benefits of using honey
Rich source of anti-oxidants
Honey is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids that prevent cellular damage as a result of oxidative stress and prevent premature aging. These anti-oxidants reduce the risk of heart diseases.
A sugar substitute for diabetics
Honey rich in fructose and low in glucose is a good substitute for refined sugar for diabetics. It also helps reduce LDL and promotes HDL while lowering triglycerides. However, diabetic patients should limit the amount of any sugar including honey in their diet.
Heals wounds
The excellent anti-inflammatory properties of honey heal wounds and reduce inflammation. It can help treat psoriasis and herpes lesions. Manuka honey, known especially for its medical properties, helps soothe burn wounds.
Cough suppressant
Honey is known for fighting the common colds and flu and acts as a cough suppressant in children and adults.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Can you eat honey from a dead hive?”, and how to clean and extract the honey from the comb?
