Honey and bees have fascinated human beings for thousands of years. Some of our earliest prehistoric paintings are of beekeepers. Aristotle, one of ancient Greece’s greatest philosophers, left behind his thoughts and musings about the flying insects.
But why is honey so interesting? In this article, we’ll review some interesting facts about honey so that we may better understand man’s fascination. Read on to discover an exciting world you may not have known very much about.
Honey Never Spoils
Honey put in an airtight container will never spoil. We even have reports of several-thousand-year-old honey found in Egyptian tombs that are likely still edible. The substance’s staying power comes from its chemical makeup, which is acidic and naturally low in moisture. Bacteria cannot survive in such an environment. There are many reasons to become a beekeeper, but perhaps the most exciting is the opportunity to cultivate this miracle food.
Medieval Germans Loved Honey
Medieval Germans were very fond of honey because of its ability to sweeten beer. It was so popular, in fact, that German feudal lords forced peasants to make payments of beeswax and honey.
Honey Keeps Bees Alive Through the Winter
Another interesting fact about honey is that bees survive on the sweet food all winter long. Instead of flying around to collect pollen, bees spend their winters in a cluster, surrounding their queen for warmth. During that time, they subsist on the honey stores they built for themselves throughout the honey-gathering months.
Insects Aside from Bees Make Honey
Although bees are the insects most associated with honey, other critters have a part in the trade as well. The Mexican honey wasp, which lives in North and South America, is one of the only wasp species that produce honey. Just be careful before you sample honey from a Mexican honey wasp—depending on which flowers the wasp used, the honey may be poisonous.
