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– Your bees live in a special place: in the surroundings of the Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve. What would you say to this very little protein bear? What are those bees of yours? Poor or good? And then what is your honey, bad or good?
– At least with me (laughs) all bees are good and have very good honey. After all, I have been friends with them since childhood. When I was a child, I lived with my parents in Marijampolė, and my grandparents looked after the little ones in Varnupiai, near Žuvintas. There are still hives to this day. Dad said that my grandfather brought the first hive in 1957 in a carriage, relying on the horse. And he built it in the village of Paduvinis, near Varnupiai. So first my grandfather started beekeeping and then my dad came back from the army. I am already a third generation representative.
“I know your son Jacob makes beautiful beeswax candles.” How old is he?
– Eleven. And you are already quite interested in beekeeping. Like my nephew. I am glad that the fourth generation of beekeepers is also growing. I forgot to mention that in the Samogitian apiary we keep the hives made by my grandfather. We still have bees on them today. Of course, the quality of honey does not depend on the hive, but we are still happy to preserve the traditions of the old generation. Grandpa had ten of them. The father increased the number of hives to maybe 40, well, and now there are already 130 hives in the Samogitian family apiary.
– Beekeepers offer different types of honey: linden, clover, honeydew, etc. Always hardened to find out how bees classify you?
– It would be easier for beekeepers to sell one type of honey. But each honey has a different flavor and healing properties. For this reason, I advise you to try all kinds of honeys. I classify it by plants and by time. There are the so-called stationary hives in our apiary, whose honey I do not select. From them, mixed honey is collected and extracted, spring or summer. But the other half of bees and hives are mobile. At some point, I transport them to other places. For example, when forest raspberries bloom in June (a very hunting plant), they transport bees and hives to the logging sites in the forest where they grow. I leave there for a couple of weeks with the empty hives and then bring them back with the full ones. According to the unwritten rules of beekeepers, if about 50 percent. Honey is collected from a type of plant, for example, wild raspberries, this type of honey can already be called raspberry honey.
According to the unwritten rules of beekeepers, if about 50 percent. Honey is collected from a type of plant, for example, wild raspberries, this type of honey can already be called raspberry honey.
– Is this how that kind of honey goes?
– Yes … I transport other hives to the linden, where there are many linden trees. Did you know that linden honey is very fragrant, fragrant? When turning such honey from the aroma of linden even dizzy. When autumn comes, the hives are transported to the heaths or buckwheat fields. I have transported organic hives and strawberries for the bees to pollinate the plants, increase the yield and bring us strawberry honey. It had a really funny story on that strawberry. I came there, I just bought a new car. I’ve done all the work and I’m going home. I got into the car and the bees shot me and squeezed the glass of the car window. As if such a first baptism had been received. I started thinking about how to get them home here. I saw the mother (she’s bigger, longer than all the other bees, and most importantly, she doesn’t suck). I took it with my bare fingers and carried it to the hive. When the scouts saw this, they immediately gave the order to the rest. So after them, to my surprise, all the bee swarms collapsed back into the hive.
– This year the bees had to collect a lot of linden honey – I collected the most beautiful linden flowers with my own hands and dried them to make tea.
– Anaiptol. July bloomed profusely, there seemed to be a lot of honey. But … he actually spilled that nectar. The bees didn’t even fly to pick it up. They sent a message in their language, a special dance, that the situation with the linden flowers was bad.
– I once caught the unpleasantness of a beekeeper recklessly telling me that all honey is the same. But then he showed me that individual types of honey differ in color, taste, and healing properties. Tell me, what does this all depend on?
– It basically depends on the sources, – that is, where the honey came from. And they can be infinite. That is why there are so many types of honey. Interestingly, even keeping bees in the same place from year to year can vary. After all, in the same environment, other plants can dominate every year; therefore, the taste properties of honey will naturally be different.
When a beekeeper is honest, there is always a sincere relationship between him and the buyer.
– I would very much like to learn to distinguish good honey from bad. Tell me, maybe there are some home tests or secret beekeepers tricks?
– It is said that the beekeeper must first look him in the eye. They are a mirror of the human soul. It will show you if you lie. When a beekeeper is honest, there is always a sincere relationship between him and the buyer. After all, having both your beekeeper and your groomer is a lot of fun. Second, when honey matures (that is, already edible) crystallizes, such glucose crystals are naturally painted on its surface. You will not do them dishonestly. This is also one of the visual criteria for good honey.
– What if honey is liquid?
– Then make sure it’s not too runny. Sometimes, in search of quick profits, beekeepers violate their work ethic and remove immature (i.e. wet) honey. This means that when the bees bring the nectar from the flowers to the hive, they still have to evaporate it and turn it into honey. To expel all the moisture from the hive, from the hives, they flapped their wings thickly. This is how honey matures. And when properly prepared, the combs are locked. Beekeepers, of course, have special devices for measuring humidity so as not to give people too much liquid, unripe honey, which can ferment during long periods of inactivity. If such a suspicion arises, take a simple test: hang a tablespoon of honey and wrap it. If the honey hasn’t run off, consider it ripe. And you can drip a drop of honey on your wrist and turn your hand to look, drip or not. If it drips, the honey is not yet ripe. In other words, there is still too much water left, which will trigger the fermentation process.
– Sometimes people who use honey improperly destroy its good qualities. Advise how to handle this valuable bit product to prevent this from happening?
– The biggest tip: put a spoonful of honey directly in your mouth. If you are drinking hot tea, first put honey in your mouth and only then drink it with tea. This will preserve all the vitamins and other valuable substances that honey has.
– Sometimes I think that beekeepers, with such a treasure of health, honey, are probably not sick at all.
– I do not know how others, but we all consume honey and other bee products. So, thank God, we are not sick. Usually people make a mistake and remember honey only when the disease has already spread. However, both honey and other bee products should be used prophylactically to avoid getting sick.
– When is the beekeeper the working year itself?
– In August. This is the saltiest time for beekeepers. And that salinity comes from the fact that at the end of summer, sweat literally pours into streams. Of the works. Those who think that beekeeping is just a beautiful romance or a walk through the meadows in a white suit are wrong. It is actually very hard physical work. And the hardest thing becomes at the end of summer, when it is necessary to unscrew the last honey and the bees prepare for winter. When they no longer find flowers in nature, they get angry, like hornets (laughs). And here the beekeeper shows up and tries to get the last honey out of his hives. How come you won’t be furious after that?
– How to understand: are you going to take off the last honey?
– In spring and summer, bees are much more pleasant and gentle. Until you find food in nature, calm down. Sometimes during a honeymoon, he doesn’t even pay attention to you. And in the fall, when food is scarce, they become much more suspicious and angry. After all, in many frame hives (there are more than 20 of them), the beekeeper has to leave maybe only 7-8 for wintering (depending on the strength of each family of bees). This and the bites fall more often in the fall … But for a beekeeper, those cvakt – a normal routine. No matter how gently you want to treat the bees, you happen to accidentally squeeze something and then get a prick of gifts. I always tell those who want to start beekeeping that they must first pass the fall test, that is, to enjoy some apiary in the fall when the bees are not very congregated. My nephew passed him!
– Admit it now: is the Samogitian apiary with 120 hives in the surroundings of the Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve more of your business or hobby?
– Well, usually there is only one cost among the hobbies of most men … And here is a hobby that also brings profit (laughs). However, the hardest part is not even that physical work. If he is sincere, the beekeeper must be a kind of prophet to adjust his actions and deeds accordingly. And only when the beekeeper does everything he needs and when he needs it can he expect a good harvest of honey. If, of course, bad weather does not set foot …
– Sometimes people are outraged that beekeepers feed the bees sugar, which greatly affects the quality of honey. It is true?
– Let’s start with the fact that not all honey is suitable for hibernation of bees, but they need to eat something during the winter. Bees are much better tolerated in winter when the beekeeper feeds them something else, like some other type of honey or even sugar syrup. Rest assured: feeding bees sugar syrup during the winter has nothing to do with the quality of that honey. Bees generally feed after the honey has been removed from the hives, and they consume that sugar syrup before spring, before the honeymoon begins. In a word, in domestic terms, the sugar syrup that you fear so much doesn’t even go into honey for humans.
– What if there is a rogue beekeeper who feeds the bees with sugar syrup and in summer to have more honey?
– Well, I don’t know … that bees fill her with satiety. Just guess, unscrew, prep and sell. But I can’t put my head behind others.
– Is it true that the older the honey, the more valuable its properties?
– Well, that’s what wine is about. And the honey? Hmm … People always ask me for fresh honey. But it has been known since ancient times that honey is a long-lasting product. Perhaps there are walkie-talkies in this saying. Of course, its value and goodness also depend on the correct storage conditions. Honey likes it as dark and cool as possible.
– And can it be stored in a plastic container? Somewhere I read that a sealed clay or glass container is more suitable for honey.
– I don’t know … To be frank, I poured into both glass and plastic. And what does it mean in sealed clay? Perhaps in ancient times, when we did not yet have such containers (with all the brands of food), that was the case. For me, it’s better to have a new plastic container than a badly washed pickle container with a rusty lid.
– Unfortunately, not everyone can consume honey. What would you recommend to allergy sufferers?
– Discover your honey. However, I always offer not to limit myself to one honey, but to buy it all. If you are not allergic, so that the body receives both valuable substances. For people with allergies, I recommend trying monofloral honey (collected from one type of plant). Suppose you taste the pink and white clover honey first. It contains fewer colorants, making it suitable for people with allergies and young children, who are often the most sensitive to food. Polyfloral honey (collected from different plant species) can be allergenic because there is always the possibility that it contains an herb that is not suitable for an allergic person.
Test: YES or NO?
Honey is healthier to use cold.
YES. It is bad to try hot tea with honey in the treatment of colds, supposedly thus strengthening health. At high temperatures, honey loses its beneficial properties and even becomes harmful. Add honey to tea after it has cooled to at least 40 degrees Celsius. Even better: when drinking hot tea, taste separately with a teaspoon of honey. You can flavor honey with porridge, curd or white cheese, fresh cucumber. The most important thing to remember is that it is necessary to sweeten raw products.
The color of the honey depends on the plants from which the bees collected the honey.
YES. The color of honey depends mainly on the solids it contains – iron, copper, manganese and other macro and microelements, as well as on the colorants – carotenoids, flavonoids, chlorophylls, etc. The more macro- and microelements and dyes there are in honey, the darker it is. There is also colorless honey that turns white when it crystallizes. Flower honey (eg linden, garden milk) will always be lighter in color. And dark honey is usually currant. (Glue is the sticky liquid that bees collect from the leaves of trees.)
Is it possible to buy good liquid honey in winter?
NO. You should avoid buying liquid honey in winter, as it is usually from outside or overheated. Usually during winter, all good Lithuanian honey hardens and crystallizes. Crystallization is one of the natural properties of honey. On the other hand, the time it takes for honey to crystallize is another matter. It is determined by many factors: which plants it is obtained from, what is the outside temperature, humidity, etc. For a long time, naturally uncrystallized honeydew honey remains. But in winter it cannot be. If you find it at the mall, it will probably be somewhat defrosted, heated to a higher temperature than allowed. Beekeepers say that you cannot form a white surface of grape sugar (glucose) on heated honey.
Is it true that honey collected from different plant species also has different healing properties?
YES. Rapeseed honey, which has a slightly bitter taste, strengthens liver function and reduces increased gastric acidity. Lime honey has a calming effect, cures coughs, flu, and burns. The pleasant tasting clover honey prevents physical and mental exhaustion, improves digestion and liver function. Lipstick honey has a calming effect, it is suitable for the treatment of wounds, kidneys and ureters. Bitter dandelion honey cures pain, inflammation of the respiratory tract and reduces stomach acidity. Chestnut honey improves the digestive tract, treats kidney disease.
Is it true that bees do not sting their beekeepers?
NO. Bees sting painfully and beekeepers. However, these insects have a very good sense of smell. They smell pheromones released by humans. Therefore, if a person is afraid of bees, sweats, gets excited and emits an unacceptable smell to bees, they are more receptive and capable of attacking.
Is it true that when bees are attacked you have to wash your hands and run?
NO. When a person is scared, they behave irritably and make sudden movements. And bees notice moving objects much faster. That is why it is said that when you attack bees you cannot disguise yourself and run away from them.
What are the useful substances in honey?
Scientific literature states that honey contains more than 300 different substances: vitamins, minerals and trace elements. After all, the ancient Egyptians and Greeks used honey for medicinal purposes not unnecessarily. Then there was no smell of chemical drugs. About 19 percent is found in honey. water, rich in carbohydrates, most of which are fructose and glucose (33 and 40 percent each). Honey also contains 1.5-5%. sucrose, 5-10% maltose, other sugars, minerals (iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium), vitamins (B1, B2, B3, PP, niacin, pantothenic acid), small amounts of enzymes, phytoncides, hormones, oils essential and aromatic substances, antioxidant and bactericidal properties.
The benefits of other bee products
Pollen and bee bread regulate intestinal activity, strengthen immunity, improve brain function, promote the regeneration of healthy tissues, improve the activity of chronic inflammatory diseases, strengthen the nervous system and others. Eat 10 to 15 g of bee bread or pollen a day. If you are sick, you can double the amount. Just remember to take breaks every 1-3 months.
Royal jelly is a highly concentrated and fully biologically active food product. Royal jelly contains B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, A, D, PP, E, pantothenic and folic acids, as well as trace elements (iron, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, gold, chromium, silicon, nickel, silver, zinc, cobalt etc.).
Royal jelly is used not only as food, but also prophylactically. It is advisable to consume it after heavy surgery to regain strength in diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver and gallbladder in case of high blood pressure.
60–90
an adult can eat so many grams of honey a day.
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