The story of the birds and the bees. Generally, this means something different, but in this blog post, we'll explain the literal story. It's common knowledge that bees make honey, but what exactly is in honey, and how do bees do it? You can read all about that and more in this blog post.
From the bee
It all starts with that little bee. The bees fly from the greenhouse to surrounding plants and flowers. Anything containing nectar can be a target for them. They do this up to three kilometers from their greenhouse. When the weather is poor, they will collect nectar from a lower range. The bee breaks down this nectar until sugars remain. These sugars are stored in a honeycomb. The honeycomb design and the constant fanning of the wings cause evaporation of the sugars. This creates the well-known liquid honey. The appearance of the honey depends on the nectar used to make it. When a greenhouse is located in an area with only the same plants, unique honeys can be produced, such as thyme honey , chestnut honey, or manuka honey .
From the greenhouse
Bees can produce a surplus of up to 25 kg per year. Beekeepers collect this surplus from the hive. The wax covering the cells is removed, after which the honey can be extracted. This is often done using a centrifuge that rapidly spins the combs, releasing the honey. For hard honey types, the beekeeper must remove this themselves.
To your house
After the honey has been extracted (technically called "extraction"), it is strained. This removes any remaining wax and other particles. The honey can be heated to facilitate this process. However, this alters the natural composition. For this reason, this is not done with high-quality honey. Once all the particles have been removed from the honey, it is time to bottle it. The honey is labeled and can be sold worldwide.
Looking for honey?
Looking for honey? Then check out the selection at Honingwinkel.nl. We're the online store for all kinds of honey , but also for products like propolis and Royal Jelly . So, be sure to browse to see what we have to offer.