Australian Stingless Bee Honey
Amazing Native Bee Honey
Stingless bees make about a litre of honey a year, so their honey is very precious. It’s considered one of the rarest honeys in the world.
Native bee honey, or sugarbag honey, is very unique and is substantially different to honey bee honey. It’s not as sweet but has much more flavour and taste.
It’s low GI, because of a unique sugar called trehalulose, which makes its edible for diabetics. It has potent antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and is high in antioxidants and, because of this, it is highly sought after.
Collecting Australian stingless bee honey is a rewarding activity that starts with understanding these unique insects and their habitat.
To begin, you need a stingless bee hive, which you can either purchase ready to go, or duplicate an existing hive if you know of someone generous with a strong hive. Eduction is a gentle method of duplicating a strong hive. You can find more information here.
To ensure your hive has lots of excess honey for you to harvest, it will need to have had a 'good season', which means lovely, warm weather for most of the year; sporadical rain so the flowers can grow and flower for most of the year and no extended periods of drought, floods or even fires. It's a good idea to weigh your hive annually, so you can make sure it has grown full of honey. If your hive is a similar weight, has lost weight or hasn't gained much weight, it's not a good idea to harvest any honey. In fact you may need to help your hive by planting lots of flowering plants, especially winter flowering plants.
Harvesting Stingless Bee Honey
If your hive is very strong and full, you can harvest some honey from it. Native, stingless bees don't have honeycomb, like honeybees, and this makes harvesting the honey a bit harder. Native bees stores their honey in small pots, called honey pots. To harvest the honey, you need to get the honey out of these little wax balls. There are two main methods; the first involves smashing the honey pots and pouring the honey out and into a jar. This is not very friendly to the bees, as they can drown in the spilt honey, they have to clean up the spilt honey and also have to re-build the pots. The second mother is more gentle on the bees and it involves carefully extracting the honey from the hive, usually done with a syringe or spoon to avoid damaging the structure. We sell a gentle collection syringe which we use as it to pierce each honey pot and gently suck the honey out. We have found it is the least destructive manner to harvest the honey.
Remember not to take all or too much honey, as the bees need it to survive.
Harvesting is typically performed in the warmer months when bees are most active and honey production is at its peak. It's not recommended to harvest the honey as we head towards winter, during winter or even immediately after, as the bees might need this honey to get through the colder months.
When harvesting stingless bee honey in Australia, it is crucial to understand the optimal conditions for collection, ethical harvesting practices, and the best techniques for processing and storage.
Processing and Storage Techniques
It's recommended to filter the honey, through a fine cloth, after harvesting it. Don't forget to keep native bee honey in the fridge, as it has a high water content and ferments quickly at rooms temperature.
What are the medicinal advantages of consuming honey from Australian stingless bees?
Stingless bee honey is known for its antimicrobial properties. It can help in wound healing and has antibacterial effects. This honey also has antioxidants, which support overall health and may boost the immune system.
Are there any adverse reactions associated with consuming stingless bee honey?
Most people can consume stingless bee honey without issues. However, some individuals might experience allergic reactions. It's important to test a small amount first, especially if you have known allergies to bee products.
What distinguishes honey from Australian stingless bees from other types of honey?
Stingless bee honey has a unique tangy taste and is more viscous than honey from European bees. Its high moisture content and distinctive flavour make it stand out. Additionally, its medicinal properties are often more pronounced due to its natural antimicrobial compounds.