It is no secret that honey is one of the most versatile sweeteners in the world. An important part of many cultures’ diets, as it provides an excellent natural sugar substitute for a diabetic person or for those looking to avoid processed sugar. Bees are also incredibly important for our ecosystem, and because of this, they should be cared about responsibly by their keepers. It is interesting to see how beekeeping has evolved and how the bee populations have changed with it. Here are some interesting facts about how beekeeping and honey harvesting has changed over time:

1. Changes in Bee Populations

Bees are like a big biological clock for the environment. When the numbers of bees decrease, so does the honey harvest, and vice versa. Luckily, there are currently measures to mitigate the damage that bee colonies are receiving. Some of these measures include:

• Making sure the bees do not  have access to too many pesticides
• Decreasing the amount of pesticides used for spraying of crops
• Educating farmers on how to manage bees (these crops are an important source of pollen and nectar for the bees)
• Communicating to the public how to act in a bee-friendly manner

2. The Evolution of Beekeeping

Beekeeping has a long history. Honey has been around for thousands of years, and probably existed before man, although we are not sure about this. Back in the day, the consumption of honey was practiced by many cultures. Eventually, bees got way too many and were introduced to hives to regulate the population. As honey production and bee population decreased, beekeepers switched from hives to boxes for better management of the bees. Other hives would be split, and a key on the side of the hive could be used to extract the honey without opening the door, also known as a flow hive! Honey farming became popular in the 1700s, and it has been steadily growing since then.

3. How Honey Harvesting Has Changed Over Time

Keeping bees has been around for more than 10,000 years. Historically, beekeepers needed to harvest honey from hives around the same time every year to harvest it for use throughout the year. Nowadays, beekeepers harvest honey about every three times a year, with some species of honey, like that from the Africanized honeybees, requiring more frequent collection. In Uganda however, Nahl apiculture is one of, if not the only beekeeping organization that harvests frequently.

Beekeeping really took off when people began to grow crops that required pollination. Without bees, we wouldn’t have any fruits or vegetables that we love to eat. For example, honeybees are responsible for pollinating around 75% of all the food that we eat. Additionally, as honeybees outcompete wild bees for nectar resources, they impact wild food populations less. If you are involved in the agricultural sector, consider keeping just a single beehive and see the difference in crop yield!

Final Thought

Our goal is to create modern beekeeping and honey harvesting techniques that take place in the modern world. Fortunately, through this article, we’ve given you some valuable information on beekeeping, honey harvesting, and current beekeeping practices that can help you, the next beekeepers, and what you can do to help out the bee population!

Share this article to help raise awareness of how beekeeping and honey harvest has changed over time.

Nahl Apiculture has been successful because we’ve decided to do something differently. Our philosophy is built on the idea that if you are persistent, make good decisions, and work hard, you can achieve anything. This means that we prioritize quality over quantity. We don’t want to take on any project that would compromise our dedication to quality. The other day we had one of our beekeeping colleagues give us the idea of demystifying beekeeping. So:

What’s Demystifying Beekeeping?

Demystifying beekeeping often refers to the act of making the beekeeping process clearer and easier to understand. There are many myths about beekeeping, including that you need a lot of money or land to keep bees. While this is not true, it does take that much commitment to keep honeybees. So in the spirit of helping beekeepers realize their dreams, Nahl Apiculture offers support that includes:

1. Educating Beekeepers

We like to educate on beekeeping issues, and we like to work with people who have a passion for beekeeping. Beekeeping is interesting because it’s not just about honey production but also environmental sustainability. Beekeepers regulate the environment inside the hive so that the bees can produce honey.

This process is one that many people don’t know about. It’s also something that can be pretty difficult to understand. To help with this, we like to educate people on beekeeping and the benefits it can provide for our planet.

Our aim is to make it more clear and easy to understand.

We hope that by providing a simple, step-by-step process, we can educate people on the benefits of beekeeping in a fun and engaging way.

2. We Do Everything With SWEAT, LOVE, And TEARS

We care about the bees because of their role in the ecosystem and how they contribute to pollination and other natural processes. For centuries, humans have been exposed to honeybee pollination services. They have helped us grow our food supply and provided us with a nutritious sweetener.

With the honey bee population declining, beekeepers are concerned about how this will affect our ability to produce food in the future. It is hard to imagine a world without bees; their contribution to the ecosystem has been invaluable. This is why we, at Nahl Apiculture, also do everything with SWEAT, LOVE, and TEARS. It is about them, the bees, and we want to do our best to protect them, and we hope that you will too!

We do it out of love, and nothing can beat us. Just imagine you eating food in a restaurant and other food cooked by your mom. Which is more delicious? It is mom’s food because she cooked it with love, unlike the chef who did it for business purposes.

Wrapping Up

If you’re reading this article and don’t know anything about beekeeping, then we have an opportunity for you. We believe that learning how to work with bees is something that everyone can do. Our goal at Nahl Apiculture is to educate as many people as possible about the wonders of bees. We teach people how to work with bees, and in doing so, we have learned how to work with bees ourselves, and we’re constantly learning new things. Send us a message if you would like us to help you in any way.

It is no secret that honey is delicious. People have been eating honey for centuries, and it’s still a popular choice today. Honey is also used in many beauty products and has natural antibacterial properties, making it a great natural antibiotic. It is one of the most calorie-efficient natural sweeteners on the market today. Here are some reasons you might use anti-inflammatory bee products today.

Ability to Reduce Histamine Production

There are a lot of different uses for honey, but one of the most important ones is the ability to reduce histamine levels in your body. Histamine is a chemical produced by your body when your tissues come into contact with an allergen. If you have allergic reactions, you produce histamine and experience an uncomfortable rash or swelling. 

However, in a healthy person, histamine plays an important role in proper immune system functioning. People who have a history of inflammation or severe health conditions, such as arthritis, may need to avoid allergen exposure to reduce histamine production in their body. Honey contains enzymes that help process histamine from the body.

Preventing Cells Inflammatory Signals

When you consume honey, your body’s enzymes break down the sugars and carbohydrates to make sugar alcohols and sugar acids. Some of these compounds (called ketones) can cause inflammation in the body. The honey of the American bumblebee contains an enzyme called apigenin that neutralizes the effects of these ketones.

Like other foods, honey contains antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals and protect the body from inflammation. Bees’ practice of collecting natural pollen contains lots of inflammation-fighting antioxidants.

Contain Glucosamines

Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most common ingredients in both natural and pharmaceutical products that contain honey. They’re used in so many supplements and topical products because of the amount of glucosamine they contain. Studies have found that glucosamine and chondroitin are essential nutrients to help maintain bone health and effectively relieve pain. The honey-based formulation of glucosamine and chondroitin includes vitamins A, C, and E. Glucosamine and chondroitin are also helpful in lowering inflammation.

Contain Omegas

As with many other health products with honey, anti-inflammatory bee products are also high in healthy fats. Bees are the only species in the world known to only eat nectar. All honey is made by bees that fly around collecting said nectar. These pollinators collect pollen on their legs and bring it back to the hive, with the nectar in their honey stomach being regurgitated back and forth. After several enzymes enter the nectar it becomes a watery form of honey that is placed into wax cells. The water content is reduced down by fanning until the level of moisture is perfect, then the bees will cap the honey.

The pollen that is brought back is mixed with honey to create a super food called Royal Jelly. This is what is fed to baby bees and the Queen herself! This honey contains healthy fatty acids, such as Omega-3 and 6. These fatty acids are important for reducing inflammation and free radical damage in the body.

Honey In Islam

Chapter 16 (Surah Al Nahl) Verses 68-69:

68:  And your Lord inspired to the bee, “Take for yourself among the mountains, houses, and among the trees and [in] that which they construct.

69: Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you].” There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.

Honey has been sought after way before the Quran was revealed, several people would seek out this pure drink for it’s beneficial properties. After this verse was revealed it became confirmed that honey had natural superpowers. As we have explained before, honey comes in different colours based on the nectar source within the radius of the beehive. ‘A healing for people’, what more could you want? Religious or not, the Lord Of The Worlds confirms the benefits of honey are unmatched. Do yourself a favour and get a jar of liquid gold from your local beekeepers!

Final Thought

Honey has been a source of nutrition for thousands of years, and there’s no question that it’s beneficial to our health. Bees are widely used in many natural remedies, and this one seems especially worth exploring. There’s no medical evidence that honey is harmful to humans, but it’s best to be careful with honey that is not bought from one of the more reputable sources.

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