HOW DO HONEYBEES SURVIVE THE WINTER?
The survival tactics that honeybees use are different from most other insects because they stay active in their hives even on the coldest winter days and nights.  How do they do this? 
First the temperature in a properly managed hive never falls blow 63 degrees F, even when the outside temperature drops to 20 degrees F.  The worker bees form a tight cluster and surround the queen bee.  The workers use stored honey as fuel and shiver to generate metabolic heat.  The bees on the outside of the cluster insulate the cluster while the inner most bees generate heat.  They continually rotate their position,  alternating their role as a heat producer and heat retainer. 

A typical honeybee hive needs about 60-70 pounds of honey to sustain it through the winter.  A well managed bee hive in a good location will produce much more honey than it needs to maintain itself.  What the bees don't need is harvested by the beekeeper and available for us to enjoy.   



ADD HONEY TO YOUR NETI POT??  You Bet!! 
This winter I has one of the worst colds I've experienced in three years.  Fortunately I followed the advice of a friend who said to try adding just a pinch of honey to your neti pot and mix up with salt.  I dipped the end of a wooden stirrer into the honey jar and mixed with hot water and a pinch of salt (let cool or add cold water till warm)and use once a day in the morning, twice if congestion is really bad.  This not only helped me to take less medicine and breathe easier with a cold but it also cut down the longevity of the cold so that it was only really bad for two days.  I also drank a decaf herbal tea with lemon and ginger with honey several times a day. 

WHY BUY LOCAL HONEY??                                                           Save the American Honey Bee...BUY LOCAL HONEY!!!

Honey is a powerful immune system booster.   It actually contains bits and pieces of pollen. Allergies can arise from continuous over-exposure to the same allergens. Eating a couple of teaspoons-full per day of honey made by bees working in the area where you live for several months prior to the pollen season will often prevent allergic reaction to the pollens it contains.  This is not to suggest that local honey will replace allergists.  It just makes sense to try this quick, safe and inexpensive solution before going to the expense of immunology injections.

(Information based on the work of Thomas Leo Ogren www.allergyfree-gardening.com

WHY DOES HONEY GRANULATE? 

All pure honey naturally granulates.  Sometimes it takes weeks other times several years.  This does not damage the honey.  Honey never spoils!  To liquefy, place the container in very hot but not boiling water and let stand.  Do not place in the microwave.

HONEY contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids.  Researchers have also discovered that honey contains antioxidants—which combat free radicals that can damage cells—as many antioxidants as spinach, apples, oranges or strawberries.

WHY CHOOSE BEESWAX INSTEAD OF PARAFFIN?

Here are 10 reasons to choose beeswax:

1. Beeswax candles burn cleaner than paraffin candles, producing very little soot.
2. Beeswax candles burn a lot longer than paraffin candles.
3. Beeswax candles contain none of the harmful chemicals sometimes found in paraffin candles.
4. Our beeswax taper candles are virtually dripless in normal draft free conditions.
5. The light emitted by a beeswax candle is much stronger and brighter than that of a paraffin candle.
6. Beeswax candles have a natural aroma and honey scent, no additives needed.
7. Beeswax is a renewable resource!
8. Beeswax candles can be burned around those with allergies or who are sensitive to strong chemical scents.
9. Natural beeswax candles support our beekeepers; our candles are created out of beeswax made in the USA.
10. Beeswax candles do not expire. Beeswax has been found in the pyramids virtually unchanged after 1000s of years

DO YOU ADD ANY CHEMICALS TO YOUR BEESWAX CANDLES? 

We add no chemicals to our beeswax. All of our wax is 100% natural.  The beeswax is not bleached or filled with any additives.

We do not use any toxic zinc or lead core wicks - only 100% cotton wicks are used at TouchStone Farm.

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FUN FACTS:

HONEY is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water. HONEY has antibacterial properties so it actually kills germs in the mouth and can be used as a mouth wash.  Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with a cup of warm water. HONEY speeds the healing process and combats infections.

HONEY is an effective expectorant, even more effective than DM cough medicine in treating colds.  (Info from the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.   Honey is safe for children over 12 months old but it can be very dangerous for infants under a year old.

Honeybees have remained unchanged for 20 million years although the world has changed around them!!

We can thank the honeybee population for every third mouthful of food we eat.  Without their pollination, many of our agricultural crops would not be availble.

HONEY FOR ENERGY:  Many pregnant women are packing a few honey sticks into their labor bags.  This small amount of honey provides much needed energy without overloadiing the digestive tract.

Dressing for wounds:  Honey is useful applied externally in a thin layer and covered with a sterile bandage.  It contains 'inhibine' a germ-killing substance , it also draws excess water from the tissues and reduces swelling.

ANTIBIOTIC PROPERTIES:  Thousands of years ago, honey was valued for its healing properties.  Despite a rich history of medicinal use, Western medicine has only recently begun to investigate the healing potential of honey.  Studies are now being conducted to test the efficacy of using honey to treat open wounds and to test its antibiotic properties in the treatment of chronic sinusitis.  (Consult the March 2009 issue of Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing and watch the medical news for breaking stories.