RudeBee Apiary

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Honey moon

Happy Pollinator Week!

Happy Pollinators week! Hug a bee for me! :-)

A good source for pollinator plant info

Happy Valentines Day

https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/all-about-honey-water-/

I found this well written explanation why honey crystallizes. REAL HONEY CRYSTALLIZES Because honey is a highly concentrated sugar solution (supersaturated) with only about 17% water, it literally contains more sugar than water can hold on it’s own. This can make honey unstable and it has a natural tendency to crystallize.... The two principal sugars in honey are fructose and glucose. Due to it's lower solubility, glucose can separate and form tiny crystals which eventually grow and spread throughout the honey making it thick and cloudy in appearance - or crystalized. Raw unfiltered honey has more natural particles like pollen or wax which give the crystals something to grow on. Because the ratio of glucose and fructose varies in different nectars gathered by the bees, some honey is more susceptible to crystallization for example Clover, Lavender or Dandelion based honeys. Another factor is the temperature you store your honey. Lower temperatures (below 60deg F) will promote crystallization, which can sometimes also occur while in the hive. Storing at room temperature is preferred. There is nothing wrong with crystalized honey some people actually prefer it because it is easier to spoon or spread and retains all the natural flavors and tastes. Simply warming up a jar in a hot water bath on the stove will return crystalized honey to its original liquid form. A lot of big chain store-bought honey brands are heated or pasteurized to make processing & bottling easier and prevent crystallization - but this also removes a lot of the pollen and natural benefits of the bees, some honey the genuine raw honey you can get from your local beekeeper.

https://www.pollinator.org//generalFiles/HoneyBee8.5x11.pdf

Learn to be a Beekeeper.