Honey is an important food that is beneficial to the body, because of its integrated nutritional elements.
Since bees are the only source of honey production. It is very important for honey to be of high quality, to pay special attention to bee food.
One of the methods used to cheat honey, is to feed the bees on white or brown sugar and water, in order to make the honey taste sweeter, and reduce the cost of providing the natural flowers needed to feed the bees.
It is good to know that bees which not fed properly, produce honey that is losing much of its nutritional value, and may even pose a threat to human life and bees as well.
Bee feeding
We should feed honey bees at specific intervals, so that the bees can continue their lives normally, and producing large amounts of honey.
Additionally, the amount and duration of feeding affect the quality of the honey.
Since the more attention on the bees type of food, the higher quality honey will be obtained.
What is bees food ?
In order for bees to produce a high quality type of honey, they need important elements that meet the bees’ food requirements.
The most important of which are proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and fats. In order for honey bees to obtain these elements, they must feed on certain substances, and the most important of these requirements are as follows:
Nectar
The flowers produce nectar, which the bees absorb, then store it in the stomach until it goes to the hive and then delivers it to the worker bees.
Nectar is a sweet-tasting liquid and is the most important source of carbohydrates so bees get energy in addition to amino acids, proteins and water.
Nectar is also considered one of the raw materials that bee workers turn into honey after the water is evaporated from it.
Pollen
When the bee stands on the flower, the pollen sticks to the hairs on the outside of the bee’s body.
The pollen grains are in the form of a sticky yellow powder, which is then transferred to the cell.
It is possible for the bee to store the pollen in the vesicle until it reaches the hive.
Pollen is one of the most important foods. As it provides the apiaries with proteins, minerals, fats and vitamins.
In addition to containing the amino acids that it needs.
The nutritional value of pollen varies from one species to another.
Water
Bees need water on an ongoing basis, and they get it easily through pools, water taps, and other water places.
It is also used to dilute honey before the larvae are fed with it.
Bees need flower nectar and pollen to survive.
Therefore, honey bees migrate to the areas where the flowers are located, which is a natural migration. There is also artificial migration by beekeepers.
Because of the high cost of feeding bees, some beekeepers may resort to adding sugar and water, instead of nectar and pollen. Which leads to the production of unhealthy adulterated honey, and this harms the bees themselves and may lead to their death.
The effect of bees food on the quality of honey
The bees that is naturally feed on one flower is called monofloral honey. And it have high nutritional values, a sweet taste, and a distinctive aromatic smell.
Among the most famous types of honey monofloral are the following:
- The wild Sidr tree is the source of the nectar of this single-flowered honey.
- This honey comes from bees, that feed exclusively on the nectar of wild Sidr trees, found in different regions of Pakistan.
- Feeding on the same tree, provides the bees with a high concentration of nectar, which makes Sidr honey more solid and sweeter than other types of honey.
- Sidr honey has a light fruity aroma, a delicate and refreshing flavour.
- It is also contain more antioxidants, than other types of honey.
- What distinguishes free wild mountain honey is its production, which is not in human-made cells.
Rather, it is in tree trunks, or cracks in rocks and slopes. So it is unique. - Qaenat Company brings this honey directly from Iran. This honey has a distinctive taste, dark color, delicate aroma, and smooth structure.
- This honey is one of the most famous and best non-sugar honey in Iran, and it is an ideal substitute for sugar.
Fresh and raw honey from the Kyrgyzstan region, this honey is extracted from wild bees as well as from natural resources. It is worth noting that the white honey tree is the source of nectar for this single-flowered honey.
Feeding from the same tree, provides bees with a high concentration of nectar, Which makes white honey more dense and sweeter than other types of honey.
White honey has a light and fruity aroma, and a delicious and refreshing creamy flavor with a hint of date and a hint of acidity.
