How Do Honey Bees Make Honey?

Honey bees are the types of bee which make honey, and you'll find thousands upon thousands of different species scattered all over the World - with the exception that is, of the North and South Poles and some of the extremely hot deserts. If you love honey and the wonderful health benefits it bestows upon you, you may be tempted to keep some of these industrious insects yourself, either as a fascinating hobby or as a profitable business venture. But let's look first at how these busy little creatures actually make the product they're so famous for.

Making Honey

Making honey is no easy task and all the little honey bees work extremely hard. In each hive you'll discover a queen bee that gives birth to workers bees, and it's the worker bees that make the honey. Basically, you have two types of worker bee - the older worker bee and the younger worker bee. The older worker bee will leave the hive to collect nectar from surrounding flowers. Once her little honey stomach is full, an inversion procedure occurs whereby enzymes break down complex sugars into simpler ones. On returning to the hive, the older worker bee will disgorge the resulting liquid, and the younger worker bees then take over. They'll taste and test the modified nectar, convert what they consider suitable into pure honey, and deposit it in the top of one of the honey comb cells. They'll then fan the honey by flapping their wings for several hours, so that any remaining water evaporates and the sugars thicken. Finally, they seal the honey up.

Beekeeping

Beekeeping is an extremely rewarding and satisfying activity, but you need to take it seriously and with care. If you're new to it, the ideal way to learn is by watching an expert. Once you're confident that you know what you're doing, then it's time to purchase your equipment. You'll need a new, good quality hive - ideally of red cedar - including roof and floor, three super boxes, a crown board, a queen excluder, and a separate brood box. You'll also need protective clothing, tools to open the hive and extract the honey, and a smoker to stun the bees slightly whilst collecting the honey. If you're not surrounded by plenty of colorful flowers then you may also need a feeder to feed sugar syrup to your bees.

Once your beekeeping equipment is installed, the next step is to get your honey bees. Packaged bees are a good option for the beginner as, although they don't produce tremendous amounts of honey, they're non-aggressive and easier to handle. Make sure you keep your hives clean, surrounded by colorful, pesticide-free flowers, and you're sure to enjoy the benefits not only of deliciously healthy honey, but also of bee pollen and royal jelly.

Honey bees have a tremendously hard existence and receive very little reward for all the good work they do of pollinating flowers and making honey. Without them you'd have far fewer flowers and crops, and wouldn't be able to benefit from Nature's most powerful natural healer and medicine. So, make the most of honey and even consider keeping your own honey bees. It's a fascinating hobby, you'll grow to love and respect the little creatures, and your health will benefit no end.

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Live Bee Removal - Is it For Me?

When you have a bee problem on or around your property, it can be a tough decision on how you are going to handle the situation. If you are reading this article, you may be on the fence about some of your options (hopefully not the same fence your bees are on).

Well, if you are looking to preserve our environment or against cruelty to insects or interested in the "green" movement or even have the slightest care about the future of the place we live, then a you may be jumping from the fence on to the side of a live bee removal. Congratulations, you are the person that knows how important bees are to our environment and what health benefits they provide to humans or you know about the harmful chemicals in pesticides that are released around your home during a bee extermination.

Of course, there are a few other things to consider before you call a bee removal company. So if you haven't jumped yet to either side of the fence let's go over these factors in detail to help with your next move.

Can I Remove the Bees Myself?

The internet provides tons of articles that swear bee removal can be done by any individual and that they can guide you through the steps for a successful removal. Think again? Sure, you may be able to get to the nest and capture some of the bees but can you contain them and get them to a beekeeper or prevent them from coming back. Many people have tried numerous unsuccessful attempts to perform a live bee removal. Bee removal is a specialty service and one must have the appropriate tools and protective gear while knowing how to appropriately remove the bees and honeycomb so they won't come back.

In some situations, it is necessary to cut into the walls or roof of a structure to get to the bee hive so knowing how to do home repair is a mandatory skill. Getting your home back to its original condition after the surgery can be tricky. Generally, a bee removal company carries the tools to repair your home and have it back to normal after the job.

If you have witnessed this type of job from a professional company, you may have thought, "They made that look so easy," but easier said than done with enough practice and experience the most complex tasks can be overwhelming.

Is Bee Removal Expensive?

The upfront costs may be more expensive than just getting some gear and supply from the store but think about the expensive medical bills for the treatment of bee stings and venom if stung and the cost of more supplies if the bees come back and you need to do a re-treat.

Also, if not all the honeycomb is removed from inside your walls or rood or the hive is left untouched for a prolonged period of time, the honey will soak into your walls and cause significant damage to your home. Also, other pests will be attracted to the remaining honey from the hives causing another pest infestation that you will need to take care of.

So think of a bee removal as an investment to your property and protection to your health and wallet.

Do I need to save the bees?

Well, you may have heard of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), where the bees are believed to be decreasing in population and the cause has not yet been determined. Corporations are investing large sums of money to put an end to CCD so why not put a little of your own to save the planet.

This point is brought up again to stress the importance of bees to our environment. Why should we save our bees, you ask? Bee pollination contributes to the growth of about 1/3 of all foods we include in our diets. Without bees most of the products we buy at the grocery store would not be available. A live bee removal allows the bees to be transported from your property to a local bee keeper so they can continue their part in our world.

Bees not only pollinate the earth but they also produce honey which is a complete food source for humans. Honey is believed to have a soothing effect on sore throats and boost immune systems to fight off many infections and diseases. Bee pollen is also used for many health reasons. Also, for centuries Chinese medicines and medical practices have used bee venom and their stingers to treat numerous diseases such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and tendonitis. The treatment is known as bee venom therapy or apitherapy and many bee venom users have found it very effective in reducing symptoms for diseases like the ones mentioned previously.

Now you have some facts on bee removals so why not ponder this for a few minutes and then call your local bee removal company to schedule a live bee removal. Live bee removal is like killing three birds with one stone: Save your home, save the bees, save the world!

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Bee Pollen Creams

We all know about the many health benefits of bee pollen. With its rich mix of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, and other nutrients, bee pollen can be a valuable food supplement. Most people consume it by mixing raw granules with other foods, or by eating capsules or tablets. However, these is also processed into other kinds of health products that can be beneficial in other ways.

We are all subject to the natural aging process, and our skin is the most visible indication of that -- namely, by wrinkling. There are various anti-aging products on the market, and these work with varying degrees of success. However, These has properties that help nourish and protect your skin. Significantly, bee pollen has a high ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value; this measure indicates the antioxidant content of a food. Specifically, high-ORAC foods have a high capacity to absorb free radicals, which are atoms with unpaired electrons. These free radicals speed up the aging process in your skin, so neutralizing them is one way to keep your skin looking fresher and smoother.

These also has a high content of nucleic acids. These acids are the building blocks of genetic material: RNA and DNA. When bee pollen penetrates the skin, the nucleic acids nourish the cells and tissues just beneath the skin, helping to prevent premature aging and stimulating the growth of new tissue. And more, bee pollen can act as a natural moisturizer.

There are a variety of face creams on the market that include bee pollen as an ingredient; many of the creams can be applied before going to bed. Because these face creams are produced from a variety of recipes, you might want to try out several, to see which works best for you. Many contain oils such as peanut oil or vegetable oil; some may have other bee products such as beeswax and honey extract. Nonscented creams are probably best; some users may have allergic reactions to scents and fragrances. Be sure to follow the instructions precisely, for any facial cream that you purchase.

Some creams and ointments also include bee propolis, a resinous substance that bees collect from tree buds. Bee propolis has natural antibacterial and healing properties, and is effective in healing acne; the propolis acts to suppress harmful bacteria in hair follicles.

If you're unsure about the various it face creams on the market, you can easily make your own facial mask. Either in a blender or by hand, blend together half an avocado (ripe), 1 tablespoon of pure honey, a quarter-cup of whole milk, and 2 tablespoons of granules. These ingredients should all be at room temperature prior to blending. Clean your face well and apply the mixture as a mask to your face; let stand for twenty minutes, then rinse with warm water.

You can follow this up by applying an astringent, mixing 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 tablespoon each of glycerin, 70 percent alcohol, and these granules. Add enough witch hazel to fill an 8-ounce cup, stir vigorously, refrigerate until cool, and apply to your face with a cotton ball; let stand throughout the day.

None of us can fight off the natural aging process forever, and no face cream can eliminate deep wrinkles. However, a face cream can certainly improve the condition of our facial skin, and keep us looking fresher and younger.

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Propolis Is Healing

For more than 2,000 years, propolis has been used as an antiseptic, antimicrobial and detoxifier, treating both humans and livestock.

The reports of the healing qualities of propolis are so numerous and convincing that researchers have formally investigated propolis to a greater extent than either bee-pollen or royal jelly. Most modern research has been conducted on propolis originating from temperate and northern-temperate mixed deciduous and conifer forests.

Chemical analyses of propolis has informed researchers that a chemical "fingerprint" consistently appears in the propolis of specific locales. This fingerprint is often a precise match to resin beads collected from local trees. Bees are apparently exceedingly selective. Among the hundreds of chemical compounds of propolis identified in propolis samples, researchers have found a subset of compounds that display a recurrent pattern of antiseptic, antibiotic and antifungal properties. Most of the compounds in this subset have been identified in other medicinal plants as well.

It's important to understand that propolis research is limited to the fraction that is soluble in common laboratory solvents. The majority of the resin is not soluble; therefore, whole propolis products may have additional benefits or synergies that are not apparent in the soluble products.

Extracts and whole propolis capsules or tablets are both available, and both have their advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage of commercial alcohol and water tinctures relates to the fact that they contain only the soluble fraction propolis, not whole propolis material. The advantage is that the soluble portion is more likely to be absorbed.

The consistency of propolis is a bit waxy. It is thick enough to stick to your teeth and gums. A good way to take it is to stir a glass of lukewarm water creating a funnel in the water. Drop the tincture dosage directly into this funnel and drink the mixture immediately.

Propolis phytochemicals are thought to prevent cancer development because of their antioxidant, detoxifying and antimutagenic activities. The component, CAPE has strongly inhibited the growth of skin and colon cancers in cell cultures. Propolis may help prevent cancer and may lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but cannot be expected to effectively treat existing cancers.

In addition to preventing infection, propolis is believed to stimulate the growth of new tissue. Wounds heal faster and cleaner when treated with propolis salves than without. Propolis tincture has been used as a digestive aid for centuries. Propolis tincture has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and has been reported in treating arthritis, boils, acne, asthma, ulcers and irritable bowel diverticulitis.

Purelyforyou.com offer an exclusive range of Natural Health Supplements and Natural Beauty Treatments sourced from around the world. Our dedication to providing new and revolutionary products and our commitment to offering unrivalled customer care are the focus of our business. Suppliers of super foods, apitherapy products, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
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Basic Facts About Royal Jelly

Royal jelly is an amazing natural substance that has gained greater momentum when it comes to health and skin benefits. This product has become a common buzz in the market. But before you know about product exactly, how can you go for it? Isn't it? Here are complete facts about royal jelly which can help you in deciding whether this product is meant for you or not. Let us find out these facts:

What is Royal Jelly?
Basically, it is a milky-white, nutritious creamy liquid secretion of nurse bee. This product is secreted from hypopharryngeal glands of the bees. Due to its strong pudding-like reliability as well as flavor, queen bees live only for this substance and it forms their fertility, prolonged existence and enormous size.

Royal jelly is said to have ingredients which are extremely beneficial for the health as well as the skin. These nutrient components of the royal jelly give countless health benefits but it should be noted that everything has an action and reaction as well. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that it does have certain side-effects which are applicable to certain people.

What is the source of it?
As described initially, the source of royal jelly is a gelatinous secretion that comes from the glands of bees. This is fed to the queen bee as well which is said to enhance its health too.

This secretion of worker honey bees enhances the health of even queen bee and is said to be responsible for its better fertility and long life. This can be taken from the fact that a queen bee grows in size 42% greater than worker bees and lives 5-7 years more than them. Apart from this, the queen bee also lays more than 2000 eggs per day.

What forms it?
The components of it are all Vitamin B complex which also include B5 and B6, several minerals, enzymes, amino acids, Vitamin A,C, D and E, Nucleic Acids which are very good in formation of RNA and DNA, certain signs of collagen formation which is extremely beneficial for healthy skin and acetylcholine which helps in improving message transmission from one nerve to another in brain.

Royal Jelly and Vitamins
Bee jelly is rich in several vitamins which can be very beneficial for the overall health. These vitamins include Pantothenic Acid: 65.0 to 200.0 mcg, Biotin: 0.9 to 3.7 mcg, Inositol: 78.0 to 150.0 mcg, Folic Acid: 0.16 to 0.50mcg, Vitamin C: Trace, Vitamin B1: 1.5 to 7.4 mcg, Vitamin B2: 5.3 to 10.0 mcg, Vitamin B6: 2.2 to 10.2 mcg and Niacin: 91.0 to 149.0 mcg.

These royal jelly facts depict its therapeutic effects and health benefits.

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Top Five Things I'll Miss When the Bees Disappear

1. Honey: Oh sweet, sweet honey. But what's so special about it anyway? Besides being a substitute for cane sugar it's superior in many ways. It never spoils. It contains enzymes and trace minerals that help fuel the body. It's still used medicinally in countries that are in the know. Honey. Whether used for mead, a sweetener for tea or as a topping for pancakes, we sure don't want the bees disappearing and taking this good stuff with them.

2. Pollen: What is pollen? It's pure protein. It also has high concentrations of the B vitamin complex, and also contains Vitamins A, C, D, and E. The bees use it to feed themselves and their developing young. We use it in everything from smoothies to protein substitutes. In one recent study mice were fed nothing but pollen for months and they survived with no ill effects. Natures perfect food it seems.

3. Propolis: Propolis, which is Greek for "before city", is the disinfectant and glue that bees use inside the hive. It's a natural sterilizer and it's one of the very few anti-viruses known in nature. We use it in cosmetics, and according to recent research scientists are trying to find a way to take advantage of its disinfectant and antibiotic properties to be used in medicine. Imagine antibiotics that don't kill all the bacteria in the body but only the harmful ones. Could this be an answer to modern medicine as antibiotics fail?

4. Bee stings: They can take these with them you say? Well hold on a minute. Bee stings are now being used in apitherapy for everything from arthritis to multiple sclerosis. Some folks insist that without their daily bee sting they might become crippled as they once were. I know my hands work a bit better after working a few bee hives. Also, a recent article in a foreign venue spoke of bee stings being used in pain therapy. Now how about that? Maybe there's something to this "bee sting" therapy after all.

5. The bees themselves: Here's an astounding fact, every third spoonful of food you eat comes directly or indirectly from honey bee pollination. Without these critters visiting our flowering crops the fruits and vegetables you consume every day would eventually wither and fade away. Not long after that our beasts of burden would follow. Close behind would be... us. No, I don't think we should allow the honey bee to disappear. We've had a long history together, and apart we wouldn't stand a chance.

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Bee Pollen Therapy

Used to Stay Healthy
Bee particles have been used for thousands of years, for both preventative and restorative reasons, and it is a complete nutritional source that can more than compensate for our nutritionally devoid modern diets. Bee pollen therapy is one facet of Apitherapy, which is the science of using bee products to heal various bodily disorders.

Used By The Ancients
Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, was one of the first to utilize bee powder therapy, for he is said to have prescribed pollen and honey for many different ailments. It is mentioned in the Bible, was documented by the Ancient Egyptians as an arthritis cure and has been successfully used by the Chinese to ensure health and banish illness for centuries.

Used to Eradicate Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
A substance found in bee powder that scientists have not been able to identify is responsible for its superior antibacterial qualities. In laboratory studies, pollen has been shown to produce an environment in the body that is deadly to bacteria, so they are unable to survive in its presence. This truth has been documented in testimonials from patients who used pollen therapy to cure them of the ravages of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Used to Reverse Anemic Conditions and Regulate Cholesterol Levels
In recent studies, anemic patients using bee therapy experienced elevated levels of hemoglobin, a considerable increase in red and white blood cells and a reduction in anemic symptoms. In another study, pollen was shown to regulate cholesterol levels by increasing the high-density lipoproteins or HDL and simultaneously reducing the low-density lipoproteins or LDL.

More Uses
Bee pollen therapy has been successfully used for many other conditions like:
* Obesity - Can aid in weight loss because it is a good source of essential fatty acids which increase metabolism by lowering leptin levels. It is also high in L-phenylalanine to reduce appetite and lecithin to increase thermogenesis.

* Psoriasis and Eczema - The essential fatty acids in bee pollen regulate the immune response to reduce the symptoms of swelling, itching and redness associated with these diseases.

* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Can alleviate tiredness, for it has high levels of the B complex vitamins and is responsible for superhero type strength and endurance. This is evidenced by residents of the Caucasus Mountains in the former U.S.S.R. These octogenarians are still happily working well into their 100's.

Bee pollen therapy can be as simple as taking a teaspoonful before a physically exhausting athletic activity, but it must be clean to do its best work. Superior pollen comes from areas that are free of pollutants. Scientific testing has repeatedly shown bee pollen from New Zealand to be the cleanest in the world.

Bee pollen located in the pure and undefiled source of New Zealand is the healthiest and most natural bee pollen supply we have encountered.

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