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Many beekeepers embark on this enthralling journey in order to harvest honey and beeswax for their many uses. With the abundance of honey and beeswax you have at your disposal, let's look at all the wonderful things you can do with them.
Honey can be used for almost anything as a beekeeper, and as luck would have it, the list of honey uses keeps growing. Honey has a variety of uses; here's a quick list:
Although honey is constantly being studied as a medicinal compound, the verdict appears to be in regarding its use in treating sore throats and suppressing coughs.
However, the Mayo Clinic says this hypothesis hasn't been consistently proven in laboratory studies, yet it hasn't ruled out the possibility that honey could help those with allergies overcome some of their symptoms. At the very least, it suppresses coughs.
If you were the first person to taste honey, what would it be like? I'm sure they were blown away by it! Adding to that, when the usefulness of beeswax became known, the appreciation for honeybees and beekeeping grew exponentially!
Here are a few popular uses of beeswax:
The cheese is coated with beeswax throughout the aging process to keep it fresh and moist, and to prevent mold growth. Beeswax adds flavor to cheese while keeping it fresh.
Honeybee wax is still used to make clean, natural, long-lasting candles to this day by crafters and beeswax enthusiasts. It doesn't matter if you aren't crafty, someone else could use some beeswax from your collection.
Do you keep bees in your backyard? Share your experiences and thoughts below.
5 Common Uses of Honey
Honey can be used for almost anything as a beekeeper, and as luck would have it, the list of honey uses keeps growing. Honey has a variety of uses; here's a quick list:
1. Sweetener
Most people use it for this purpose. Throughout history, honey has been used as a sweetener for food, teas, coffee, toast, and even as a craving cure for thousands of years. Sweet tooth cravings can be satisfied with just a dollop of honey.2. Hair Conditioner
There's nothing wrong with cringing when you think about applying thick, sticky honey to your hair. Despite this common application, consider the benefits before you shake your head at it. Adding honey to your mane will restore its shine and moisture. You can wash your hair as often as you like, but even if it leaves a sticky mess, I'm sure it will smell and shine great after you've rinsed it.3. Baths
For thousands of years, milk and honey baths have been enjoyed by many. Over time, traditional milk baths have been enriched with ingredients such as honey and oatmeal. Honey has a soothing aroma, which alone makes it a great bath additive. Aside from being a great moisturizer, honey is also known to soothe dry skin. For a naturally soothing soak, try adding some milk and honey to your bath during your next spa day.4. For the Flu
When flu season hits, honey can act as a soothing agent by coating the throat lining. The Mayo Clinic reports that honey works just as well as dextromethorphan, a commonly prescribed cough suppressant. Honey is widely available and low-cost, so it may be worth trying.Although honey is constantly being studied as a medicinal compound, the verdict appears to be in regarding its use in treating sore throats and suppressing coughs.
5. Allergies
Bees harvest pollen from flowers to create honey, as you know. It would seem logical that exposure to honey derived from a plant that is an allergen might increase immunity. As a matter of fact, that is how allergy shots generally work.However, the Mayo Clinic says this hypothesis hasn't been consistently proven in laboratory studies, yet it hasn't ruled out the possibility that honey could help those with allergies overcome some of their symptoms. At the very least, it suppresses coughs.
6 Top Uses for Beeswax
If you were the first person to taste honey, what would it be like? I'm sure they were blown away by it! Adding to that, when the usefulness of beeswax became known, the appreciation for honeybees and beekeeping grew exponentially!
Here are a few popular uses of beeswax:
1. Cheese Wax
Would you like to know if the wax that coats the outsides of aged cheeses is edible? If it's beeswax it's fine! That's not to say you'd want to eat it, but you will be fine if you get a few stray pieces down your throat.The cheese is coated with beeswax throughout the aging process to keep it fresh and moist, and to prevent mold growth. Beeswax adds flavor to cheese while keeping it fresh.
2. Candles
In the evenings before electricity, candles were used to light the way. Torches were used before candles. It was the Egyptian civilization that invented candles by dipping wicks in melted beeswax.Honeybee wax is still used to make clean, natural, long-lasting candles to this day by crafters and beeswax enthusiasts. It doesn't matter if you aren't crafty, someone else could use some beeswax from your collection.
3. Balms & Salves
Beeswax is an excellent sealant, so when things dry out, it keeps moisture in. A variety of beauty products containing beeswax are available, and some companies make their entire business model around selling beeswax-based chapsticks, lotions, and salves.4. Waterproofing
The use of beeswax doesn't just apply to lips and hands, it also prevents moisture from getting into things such as fabric and wood. Also, beeswax is often used as a leather conditioner or shoe polish to keep leather from drying out or becoming wet. Furthermore, it adds a special shine to shoes.5. Polishing
In addition to giving furniture a gleaming shine, beeswax adds a layer of protection from scratches and damage caused by water glasses & other surface elements.6. Crayons
Crayons have evolved over the years, and some brands even contain unsavory ingredients. In order to ensure safe products for children, beeswax crayons have become increasingly popular. Furthermore, when a young child decides to eat a crayon, parents can rest assured that it contains only beeswax without any harsh chemicals.Do you keep bees in your backyard? Share your experiences and thoughts below.