You're a bunch of wusses

[Francko]

[Drewster]

[Put on Apiarist Hat]

Honey is bee spittle - I don't eat the stuff

Ahem! Honey is a solution of Sugar in water between specific %ages.
The %ages mean that the solution doesn't ferment - which means that it can be stored (by the Bees) for a long time and acts as a food supply over the winter (it also means we can "steal it").

The Bees obtain the correct %ages by evaporating the water (by fanning etc).

The "Sugar" is obtained from plant nectar which is transported back to the hive and placed in the "honeycomb" - where the Bees do the required stuff to get the correct %age water/concentration.

They also collect Pollen - which is a source of protien for them.

There is no "spittle" involved!!

Some Larva are fed a special secretion from the Worker Bees which is called "Royal Jelly" - this (although produced/secreted from glands on the Bees head) and the Honey is fed to the larva/young by passing "mouth to mouth" which might be where your thought of "spittle" comes in......

My missus swears that eating locally produced honey helps to mitigate against the effects of hay fever to some extent.

Although the Honey is a Sugar solution it does (somewhat obviously) get contaminated by the Pollen that the Bees also collect... As Bees only forage for pollen/nectar within a fairly small radius of the Hive this Pollen is "local" it stands to reason (although not specifically scientifically proven) that this may build up some form of "resistance" to alergic reactions to this Pollen.....

Incidently this "contamination" is what gives the Honey its flavour.. So Heather Honey and Acacia Honey and Borage Honey all taste different because of the tiny amount of Pollen left in the Honey......

[Remove Apiarist Hat]

[Rookie]

[Put on Apiarist Hat]

<snip>

[Remove Apiarist Hat]

Nice one Drewster.

[BrianSnail]

Not exactly news to the female population of the country though

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8047321.stm

"Women are well known to be able to respond more robustly to infections, and to recover more quickly than men."

Finally! Scientific proof that men get more ill than women.

Man flu...worse than bird flu.

[voodooflux]

Although the Honey is a Sugar solution it does (somewhat obviously) get contaminated by the Pollen that the Bees also collect... As Bees only forage for pollen/nectar within a fairly small radius of the Hive this Pollen is "local" it stands to reason (although not specifically scientifically proven) that this may build up some form of "resistance" to alergic reactions to this Pollen.....

Excellent work Drew - I will impress the missus with my new found "knowledge" this evening

[OwlHoot]

Honey is bee spittle - I don't eat the stuff

How about cow juice?

[Drewster]

Excellent work Drew - I will impress the missus with my new found "knowledge" this evening

HTH - let me know if you want to know about Propolis, Langstroth, Skeps, Bee Space, Varoa etc

[voodooflux]

HTH - let me know if you want to know about Propolis, Langstroth, Skeps, Bee Space, Varoa etc

You'll be my first port of call if any of those topics arise

[Drewster]

You'll be my first port of call if any of those topics arise

You'll have to join the (granted somewhat short) queue!

[Pogle]

Thanks for that Drewster, It was most informative
But I still wont be eating the stuff any day soon.