THE MAGNIFICENT HIVE
I have been living in the city for several
years now. It seems that every time I leave the city I have a
stronger pull to explore nature. It is like I am a child again - seeing
insects, trees, flowers and animals - all for the first time! So
last night my boyfriend Sal and I were walking his property and he says
"holy *^$#, I give you 30 seconds to find what I just saw".
There it was, in a small tree at eyelevel, the very first beehive I have ever seen so closely! Despite Sal's warning to keep our distance - my first thought was I need some of that beautiful honey because fall allergy season is quickly approaching - so without a care in the world, I gleefully raced up to the beehive. Lucky for us the bees minded their own "BEESNEST" - randomly yet regimentally going in, out, and all around the hive - so I grabbed my phone and started taking photos. Even after experiencing an undeniable escalation in afternoon "bee air traffic" activity I managed to snap a few amazing shots. Needless to say the activity around the hive became too close for comfort, so with little effort from Sal, I was convinced to come back "under the cover of darkness" later in the night.
MORE ABOUT HONEY
Honey has been used for thousands of
years. The uses of honey go beyond our love affair with its sweet taste.
Although surprising enough, it is organic natural sugar, has no additives,
immune from spoilage, and the amount of sugar prevents micro-organisms from
existing.
Scientists
have revealed that honey has powerful anti-bacterial properties on at least
sixty species of bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, which are often useless
against certain types of bacteria, honey is non-toxic and has strong
effects. The composition of honey includes sugars such as glucose and
fructose, and also the minerals magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium
chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. Depending on the quality of the nectar
and pollen, the vitamins contained in honey are B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and C.
Wound
Dressings
This is great in first aid when
applied as a dressing. When honey is used topically, hydrogen peroxide is
produced by dilution of the honey with body fluids. As a result, hydrogen
peroxide is released slowly and acts as an antiseptic. The clinical
observations recorded are that infection is rapidly cleared, inflammation,
swelling and pain are quickly reduced, odor is reduced, sloughing of necrotic
tissue is induced, and healing occurs rapidly with minimal scarring. Honey
may also prevent the dressing from sticking to the healing wound.
Topical honey has been used
successfully in a treatment of diabetic ulcers, against drug resistant
strains of bacteria MRSA and when topical antibiotics cannot be used. Try
using a raw honey on your next wound.
Internal
Healing
Honey helps the body to
heal itself similar to a homeopathic remedy. Homeopathic means, “like cures
like”. In helping the body to heal itself in conditions such as seasonal
allergies, asthma and respiratory conditions, raw honey must be
used from your local area.
Dosage would be one
tablespoon 3-6 times per day taken straight or in tea.
Propolis is a resinous mixture that
honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources is
used as a sealant in unwanted open spaces in the hive. [1]
Propolis boosts the immune system and is anti-viral and
anti-inflammatory. It can be bought from your local health
food stores or from a local beekeeper as lozengers, tincture, creams
and ointments or oral sprays for:
1.
Sore throats or oral irritations
2.
Minor burns
3.
Infections
4.
Genital herpes
5.
Shingles
Similar (but obviously not
recommended, unless you are well versed in the husbandry of Apoideas and Antophilas) to our magnificent hive discovery, to obtain the most
beneficial healing effects from honey and propolis, the bounty from one’s local
fauna and flora shall serve them best. Keep in mind if you have environmental
or seasonal allergies it is most likely due to the geographic location where
you live coupled with (and amplified by) the changing seasons. Therefore, the local natural ingredients
gathered by your local honey bees will most likely produce the most potent
honey and propolis for those “local folks” who happen to be suffering from
those very same local environmental or seasonal allergies.
WARNING, IF
YOU HAVE AN ALLERGIC OR HYPERSENSITIVE REACTION TO BEE STINGS OR BEE PRODUCTS
USE WITH CAUTION. YOU COULD REACT TO PROPOLIS THE SAME WAY.