Around this time of year I get a lot of telephone calls about bumble bee nests – in bird boxes, under decking, under sheds, in the rockery, in the compost bin etc.  Most people are understandably worried when they discover they have a bumble bee nest, but please,

DON’T PANIC!

The nest you have just discovered has already been there for a number of weeks and will very soon die out. 

Unlike honey bees who cluster during the colder winter months, bumble bee queens hibernate. 

The list of uses for honey and beeswax are endless but here are some: 

Honey

Cut comb and cappings are popular with hayfever sufferers as they tend to contain more pollen. If using honey for hayfever the advice is that you should take 1 teaspoon a day for a month before your symptoms usually start. Honey should be as local as possible. However, honey will not help hayfever sufferers if the allergies are grass pollen as bees do not forage on grass. 

Honey and lemon for colds is a well known remedy. A recent study showed that children’s cough mixtures were ineffective, but that a spoonful of honey provided some relief from night time coughs. 

Beeswax is a sustainable source of wax. 

For centuries the only source of light was candle and the best candles have always been made from beeswax. Beeswax candles were always used by the church and monasteries as well as the rich and privileged. Wax for candles was one of the reasons monks kept bees.

Natural beeswax candles produce a beautiful bright light. It is also smokeless so it won’t leave behind the dirty sooty marks a paraffin based candle will. Nor does it contain the carcinogenic compounds of paraffin.