Our Why choose BC Buzz Honey
The finest bees in the Fraser Valley produce fresh, local honey! BC Buzz carries raw honey as well as unpasteurized honey from across Western Canada. Our all natural honey is unpasteurized, therefore ensuring all the nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants remain in each jar. It is also helps cholesterol and glucose metabolism and protects the liver. Extremely high in vitamins and minerals.
How is honey made
Honey starts as flower nectar collected by bees. It gets broken down into simple sugars by enzymes in the bee’s honey stomach and is then stored inside the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees’ wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Honey’s colour and flavour vary based on the nectar collected by the bees. For example, honey made from clover blossom nectar might be light in colour, whereas honey from wildflowers might have a dark amber colour
What is “Raw” Honey and Why should I buy “local” honey
Raw honey is honey that has been unprocessed, unaltered, unpasteurized, and unadulterated. This ensures that it still contains the pollen, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc. Raw local honey also contains a blend of local pollen, which can strengthen a person’s immune system, and reduce pollen allergy symptoms. Buying local honey preserves the beekeepers in your locality whose bees are pollinating your local vegetables, flowers, and other important plants.
What is the difference between pasteurized and unpasteurized
Honey is naturally unpasteurized. The process of pasteurization destroys enzymes, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in the honey and this decreases the nutritional value of honey. A lot of honey found in the supermarket is not raw honey but “commercial” regular honey, some of which has been pasteurized (heated at 70 degrees Celsius or more, followed by rapid cooling) for easy filtering and bottling so that it looks cleaner and smoother, more appealing on the shelf, and is easier to handle and package. Pasteurization also damages and degrades the beneficial nutrients and enzymes that are naturally occurring in honey. Even the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are damaged by the heat, reducing their value considerably, as well.
How do you store honey
The best way to store honey is in a cool location away from direct light or heat sources, such as a cupboard or pantry in your kitchen.
Does Honey Spoil
Honey is the one food product in the world that never spoils
When do we harvest honey
Prior to the winter months, to avoid loss. The best months are probably late July, August, and up to mid-September. Not only will this result in the full-frame, it will also ensure you will not lose the honey due to the weather conditions in the following months.
What is beeswax
Beeswax is produced by bees in thin sheets that are 7 to 12 days old.
How do the bees make beeswax
There are wax glands on their abdomens.
Are there any health benefits to humans digesting beeswax
The human body does not digest wax, but beeswax does absorb some toxins as it passes through your digestive tract.
What Is propolis
Bees produce not only honey but also propolis. Propolis is made from mostly tree saps, not flower nectar or pollen. Bees use this substance as caulking material when building their hives. It’s been used for thousands of years by different civilizations to treat infections and boost the immune system
How do you eat bee pollen
While bee pollen seems to be safe for most people, it is best to consult with your family doctor before consuming bee pollen, especially if you have seasonal allergies, or are allergic to pollen. People have enjoyed eating bee pollen in many ways due to its crunchy, semi-sweet, and dry taste. You can eat it straight up, by the spoonful, as a topping on oatmeal or a yogurt parfait, mixed in with honey, or shaken up in a smoothie
What is the difference in regular Honey and Creamed Honey
Liquid Honey: The most common form, where the honey is extracted by centrifugal force, or by gravity, from the wax comb. Some liquid honey is slightly processed and gently heated. But are still considered “raw”. Cream Honey: A smooth honey that has the consistency of butter. It is finely ground honey that has been blended with liquid honey.
Why does honey crystallize
It may seem intuitive to assume that crystallized honey is spoiled or of poor quality, but this isn’t the case at all. Crystallization happens naturally over time to pure, raw honey and actually helps preserve the nutrients and quality. The “why” behind the crystallization of honey is simple chemistry. Usually, honey contains at least 70% carbohydrates and less than 20% water. This is more sugar than can naturally remain dissolved and, over time, crystals begin to form. Some honey crystals are fine and smooth, while others are large and gritty. This is largely due to the proportion of the two main types of sugars found in honey, fructose, and glucose. While fructose tends to remain dissolved, glucose has a much lower solubility. The higher proportion of glucose honey contains, the more quickly it will crystallize. As each nectar source contains a slightly different proportion of these natural sugars, different honey crystallizes over different amounts of time.
How do you De-crystallize honey
Place your jar of honey in warm water to soften. Do not heat the honey over 120 degrees. This will cook and process your honey. Leaving you with no added benefits from the pollens, vitamins, enzymes, and minerals you receive from raw honey. You can also place your jar outside on a warm day. The heat of the day with soften the honey for you. Do not place in direct sunlight.
What is pollen and how do you use it
Bee pollen is a natural mixture of flower pollen, nectar, bee secretions, enzymes, honey, and wax used as a nutritional supplement. Natural health practitioners promote it as a superfood due to its nutrient-rich profile that includes tocopherol, niacin, thiamine, biotin, folic acid, polyphenols, and carotenoid pigments, phytosterols, enzymes, and co-enzymes. Bee pollen is said to enhance energy, sharpen memory, slow the aging process, promote weight loss, and improve athletic performance
Can diabetics have honey
The answer is YES, but as with any carbohydrate source (including table sugar), you’ll need to keep an eye on your portion and count those carbs. One advantage of using honey over sugar is that honey’s flavor is more pronounced and concentrated than that of sugars. This means that you may find that you can use less of it for the same level of sweetness!
What do the bees use it for
Bees feed the young larvae in the hive a mixture of pollen and honey known as bee bread before the larvae cocoon and develop into adult bees.
Why are the bees dying
Bee Colonies have been disappearing at alarming rates in many parts of the world due to the accumulated effects of parasitic mites, viral and bacterial diseases, exposure to pesticides and herbicides, as well as loss of habitat. The decline of flowers due to herbicides, pesticides and crop monoculture affects the numbers and diversity of bees. As native vegetation is replaced by roadways, manicured lawns, crops, and non-native gardens, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites that are necessary for their survival
What can we do to help Save the Bees
- Plant pollinator-friendly gardens with native bee-friendly plants.
- Do NOT use any pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides on plants in your garden.
- Avoid planting manicured lawns. Instead, plant prairies.
- Do not weed your garden. Many plants like dandelion, for example, are an excellent source of food for bees.
- Give the bees water by installing a water basin. Put a few stones or floating corks in it so the bees don’t drown.
- Educate yourself and your children about bees. Bees are NOT dangerous. By better understanding them we can learn to respect them.
- Support local beekeepers and buy local honey. Beekeepers care about the bees and our environment!
- Become an advocate for the bees and other pollinators!
What do I do if bees get into the walls of my home
Unfortunately, this happens often, the bees decide to take up residence in the eaves or walls of your home or other structure you do not wish to have bees in. If this happens, the best option is to reach out to a local beekeeper to have the bees safely removed and relocated. You can find a beekeeper close to you through your local Beekeepers Associations or a quick online search for safe bee removal.