subject: Beekeeping & Honey Bees [print this page] Everyone knows the expression "busy as a bee" and it is true. In fact, bees work so hard bringing nectar back to the hive to make honey that after about 35 days of life, they actually wear out their wings and their usefulness to the colony and die. The bees store the honey which can then be used as food during times when flowers aren't blooming. If it is a good season with a lot of nectar producing flowers, the bees are able to collect a lot of nectar and they end up making much more honey than they could ever eat by themselves. The beekeepers are then able to harvest a good amount of honey to use for themselves or to sell for profit.
It is possible for beekeepers to profit from the honey that their bees are producing by selling two different types of honey. The honey that is easily extracted from the hive is liquid honey. Beekeepers are able to remove it from the honey combs by the use of centrifuge equipment. These machines are called extractors. Beekeepers are also able to sell honey in another way; they sell pieces of the comb. Comb honey is honey that is still in the original wax combs that the bees made. Although this honey is less adaptable to use in cooking or with mixing in tea, it is enjoyed by those who prefer its natural flavors.
It is not widely known that honey comes in lots of different colors and flavors. Different flowers have different scents. Therefore the nectar that is given off by the flower will smell and taste different as well. Soil chemistry is another thing that determines how honey tastes and looks. Honey that is made from the nectar of alfalfa which grows in drier, alkali soil, may vary from white to clear. On the other hand, honey that is made from the nectar of buckwheat which grows in more acidic soils tens to be very dark. Plus, the quality of the honey comb that the bees make is a factor in the color and taste of honey. The color of honey can also be golden, red, and even green hues.
