Honeybees work tirelessly, collecting nectar and pollen from flowers to create honey to feed their colonies. But did you know that these industrious creatures make an assortment of products besides honey—and that these are useful to humans, too? Honey, wax, propolis, royal jelly, pollen, and even bee venom have provided benefits to humans for generations. Here we share a few ways to use the bounty found in a beehive.
If you’re inspired by this list and want to learn to cultivate and harvest honeybee products, check out Grow Local’s upcoming Honey Harvesting beekeeping class with Tara Chapman of Two Hives Honey. Also look out for honey vendors at SFC’s Farmers’ Markets.