Honeybees Can Sweeten Your Entire Home

Often, honeybees are thought of only as producers of honey, but honeybees can do a lot more for humans. Through creating honey and beeswax and pollinating flowers, honeybees are able to help in every room of a house.

Kitchen

Honey can be used in the kitchen in many different ways. To start, you can use honey on toast, cereal, pancakes, or any number of other foods. You can also bake with honey. One of the great things about honey is that it comes in many different flavors. Just like the fruit from an orange tree tastes different than the fruit from an apple tree, the honey made from an orange tree tastes different than the honey made from an apple tree. There are 300 different flavors of honey produced in the United States alone. Worldwide, over 3,000 different flavors are available. These types of honey range in color from being almost clear to being dark brown and have vastly different flavors. You can change the flavor of the foods you make just by using different types of honey. Try the recipe below from Gimme Some Oven (http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/) to start baking with honey today!

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 cup (dry) oatmeal

·         2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

·         1/2 cup peanut butter

·         1/2 cup ground flax seed

·         1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)

·         1/3 cup honey or agave nectar

·         1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.

2.      Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

3.      Makes about 20-25 balls.

 

Bedroom

Pollination is a process honeybees undergo to help crops grow. One crop honeybees pollinate is cotton. Without honeybees, there would be less cotton in the world. Take a look at the sheets on your bed and the clothes in your closet. A lot of the things you use every day are made from cotton. You can thank honeybees every morning that you wake up and put on a cotton shirt!

Bathroom

Did you know honey can be used to treat small cuts and burns? Honey is antibacterial, so putting some honey and a Band-Aid on a small cut will keep it from getting infected. The honey will also keep your skin soft and help it heal quickly. Honey can also be used in products such as shampoo, conditioner, and face wash. Honey is full of vitamins and minerals and can be used to keep your hair and skin healthy and soft. Rumor has it that Cleopatra bathed in milk and honey to keep her skin healthy and beautiful. In addition, beeswax can be used in products such as lip balm and lotion to further soften your skin. Try this simple recipe from Dr. Axe (http://draxe.com/homemade-honey-citrus-shampoo/) to begin your journey of using honey in the bathroom!

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 cup water

·         5 tbsp honey

·         5 drops lemon essential oil

·         5 drops melaleuca essential oil

·         Glass bottle with dispenser

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

2.      Transfer to a container. Mix well before each use

The Rest of the House

Beeswax is used to make many things including wood polish and candles. Look around your house for wood floors, tables, and chairs. All of it can be kept looking nice by using beeswax wood polish. Now search your house for candles. Beeswax candles burn brighter and longer than candles made from other waxes. Do you own any candles made from beeswax?

Honeybees are tiny creatures with a mighty job. They help humans in endless ways every single day! Be sure to thank the honeybees next time you use something they helped make!