Bees are vital to the ecosystem, pollinating plants and producing components for human nutrition. These substances from the hive are bee products. Each has been valued for millennia for its unique use. Honey, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen are the best-known. Other bee products like beeswax, bee venom, and perga are also gaining interest. This guide reviews the properties, production, and uses of these diverse substances.
Honey
Honey is a natural sweet food made when bees collect plant nectars or secretions, mix them with enzymes, and let them mature. This valuable bee product is the hive’s main energy source. Honey is classified by its source (flower or honeydew) and production method. Quality is set by moisture and enzyme levels.
Definition and classes according to the TCC
The Turkish Food Codex (TCC) Honey Communiqué defines honey as a natural substance bees collect from nectars, plant secretions, or insect secretions (honeydew honey). Bees transform these materials, then store and mature them in honeycomb cells. Classifications include Flower honey (nectar) and Honeydew honey (like pine honey). Flower honeys can be polyfloral (multi-plant) or monofloral (single-plant). Honey is also labeled by acquisition: comb, extracted, karakovan (black hive), or press honey.
Quality indicators: moisture, HMF/diastase
Honey’s quality is confirmed by lab analysis. Moisture content dictates maturity and fermentation risk (ideally below 20%). HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural) indicates heat or long storage; fresh honey has low HMF. The TCC limits HMF to 40 mg/kg. The diastase number (at least 8) shows enzyme activity and signals freshness, as heat destroys it. Proline (min 300 mg/kg), an amino acid bees add, is also a key purity criterion.
Crystallization, heat treatment, and storage
Crystallization (“sugaring”) is natural, not spoilage, and can signal naturalness. Honeys with more glucose than fructose (like sunflower) crystallize faster. Heat treatment (pasteurization), often at 60–70 ∘C, delays crystallization but can reduce enzymes and volatile compounds. Store honey at room temperature (18–24 ∘C) in a sealed glass jar, away from moisture and sunlight. Refrigeration accelerates crystallization.
Real honey tips: laboratory/label focused
Home tests for honey purity are unreliable. Real detection requires a laboratory. The safest consumer method is reading the label. It must state “Honey” and include production/expiration dates, registration number, and origin. Detailed analyses, like proline value and C4 sugar analysis (for added sugars), are the only scientific methods to confirm naturalness.
Propolis
Propolis is a sticky substance bees produce from plant resins, buds, and secretions. Bees use it to sterilize the hive, seal cracks, and protect against threats. Raw propolis must be processed for human use. This valuable bee product is rich in bioactive components.
What is propolis? (extract types: water/alcohol)
Propolis (“defender of the city”) is a mix bees create by blending plant resins with beeswax and their secretions. It’s the hive’s disinfectant. Raw propolis contains indigestible resin and beeswax. To get its benefits (phenolics, flavonoids), extraction is required. Common solvents are alcohol (ethanol) and water. Alcohol-based extracts dissolve more phenolics. Water-based extracts suit children or those with alcohol sensitivity. Glycerol or propylene glycol are also used.
Uses (food supplement/cosmetic)
Propolis has broad uses. As a food supplement, it’s used for immune support and antioxidant capacity (drops, sprays, capsules, lozenges). In cosmetics, it offers skin-soothing, renewing, and purifying properties in creams, serums, toothpastes, and mouthwashes. Its antimicrobial properties make it popular for acne-prone skin.
Standardization and product selection
Propolis’s composition varies by flora, region, and season, making “standardization” critical. When buying, look for the active ingredient amount (e.g., total phenolic/flavonoid), not just raw propolis content. Some products highlight a source or patent. Choose reliable, analyzed products. Without standardization, efficacy varies; one drop might have 5 mg of active ingredient, another only 1 mg.
Safety: allergy and interaction warning
Propolis is generally safe but can cause reactions, especially in those allergic to bee products or plant resins. Skin redness or itching may occur. A patch test is advisable. Limited data suggests propolis may interact with blood thinners or some antibiotics. Those with chronic conditions or on medication must consult a health professional.
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is a highly nutritious, creamy substance from the glands of young nurse bees. This special secretion is the primary food for the queen bee and for worker larvae for their first three days. The queen’s extraordinary fertility and long life are attributed to this food.
What is royal jelly? (worker bee gland secretion)
Royal jelly is the queen bee’s primary food, a jelly-like liquid from worker bee head glands (5-15 days old). Feeding only on it, the queen grows larger (40–60%) and lives longer (5–7 years) than workers (45 days). It contains proteins, lipids, vitamins (B-group), and the unique fatty acid 10-HDA (10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid), a key quality marker.
Production/harvest and the cold chain
Royal jelly production is laborious. Beekeepers prompt workers to produce it by making the hive queenless or using special queen cups. The jelly is collected from these cups (after 2-3 days) with tools or suction. Royal jelly is sensitive, spoiling quickly when exposed to air or heat. It requires an unbroken cold chain, stored frozen (around -18 ∘C) or refrigerated (+4 ∘C).
Forms of use and cautionary notes
Royal jelly is found fresh (pure) or as lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder/capsules. Pure royal jelly, often mixed with honey or pollen, has a sharp, acidic taste. The daily dose is small (1-2 grams). Lyophilized forms are easier to store. People allergic to bee products, asthmatics, or those with hormone-sensitive conditions should be cautious and consult an expert. Use plastic or wooden spoons, as metal may alter it.
Pollen
Bee pollen is flower dust collected by worker bees, stored in “pollen baskets” on their hind legs, and carried to the hive. Bees use pollen as protein to feed larvae and young workers. This bee product is also a valuable nutritional supplement for humans, with a rich protein and amino acid profile.
What is bee pollen? collection and drying
Bee pollen is collected flower dust. Bees moisten and compress the dust with nectar and secretions, forming pellets. Some pellets (10–20%) fall into “pollen traps” at the hive entrance. This fresh pollen (20–30% moisture) spoils quickly. It must be frozen (fresh pollen) or dried in ovens below 40 ∘C until moisture is below 10% (dry pollen).
Overview of the nutritional profile
Pollen is a rare bee product called a “complete food.” Its composition varies, but it has high protein (15–30%) and all essential amino acids. It’s rich in carbohydrates, B-group vitamins, minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium), phenolics, and enzymes. Antioxidants like rutin are noteworthy. This content makes pollen a valuable supplement, especially for athletes.
Difference from Perga
Pollen and perga (bee bread) are often confused but are different bee products. Pollen is the raw material. Perga is the final product: bees store pollen in cells, add honey and enzymes, compact it, and it undergoes lactic acid fermentation. Perga is pollen’s fermented, more digestible, and more nutritious form.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural ester secreted by young worker bees (12–18 days old) from abdominal wax glands. Bees use it to build honeycomb for storing honey and raising young. It is a valuable bee product used by humans in cosmetics, food, and other fields.
What is beeswax?
Beeswax is a complex organic substance bees produce to build combs. After consuming honey (approx. 8–10 kg honey yields 1 kg beeswax), bees secrete wax flakes from abdominal glands. They chew and soften these flakes to build the hexagonal cells. Chemically, beeswax consists of esters of fatty acids and long-chain alcohols. Its melting point is 62–65 ∘C.
Uses: food contact/cosmetics/candles
Beeswax is used widely for its water-repellent properties. In the food industry, it coats foods (e.g., cheeses) or is used in food-contact-safe coatings, like fabric wraps. In cosmetics, it’s a thickening agent and barrier in moisturizing creams, lotions, lip balms, and ointments. It’s also preferred for high-quality candles as it burns cleanly and has a pleasant scent.
Purity and paraffin mixture warning
Beeswax, like other bee products, is prone to adulteration with cheaper paraffin, stearin, or other fats. Pure beeswax has a faint honey scent and is flexible, not hard or glassy. Purity is hard for consumers to judge, so source from reliable, certified producers, especially for food contact or cosmetic use. Adulterated wax used as beekeeping foundation can harm bee health and honey purity.
Bee Venom
Bee venom (apitoxin) is a complex biochemical mixture in worker bee stingers, used as a defense. Bees use it to protect the hive. Its main component is melittin. While used in controlled apitherapy, it’s a potentially dangerous substance with a high risk of severe allergic reactions.
What is bee venom?
Bee venom is a clear, bitter liquid from the bee’s poison sac. When a bee stings, its peptides (melittin, apamin), enzymes (phospholipase A2), and other components (histamine) cause an immediate inflammatory reaction: pain, swelling, and redness. Melittin, about 50% of the venom’s dry weight, is largely responsible for the sting’s pain.
Collection: electric stimulation method
Bees are not killed to collect venom. The common method uses a glass plate at the hive entrance with a low-voltage electric current. When bees touch the plate, they feel a shock and sting the glass, leaving venom. They retract their stingers and survive. The venom dries on the glass and is scraped off. This crystallized venom is sent to labs for processing.
Apitherapy context and risks
Apitherapy is the health use of bee products. Bee venom has been used for some rheumatic or joint problems. It’s applied topically via creams or sometimes (a risky practice) via controlled live stings. However, bee venom is the most dangerous bee product. In allergic individuals, one sting can cause anaphylactic shock. Such therapies must only occur in equipped health facilities under expert physician supervision.
Bee Bread (Perga)
Perga (bee bread) is the fermented form of pollen stored in honeycomb cells. Bees pack pollen into cells, add honey and enzymes, and let it undergo lactic acid fermentation. This natural preservation increases the pollen’s nutritional value and digestibility.
What is Perga? (lactic fermentation)
Perga is the hive’s “winter bread.” Bees pack fresh pollen into cells, adding honey and salivary secretions (enzymes) between layers. The cell is sealed with honey, cutting off air. In this anaerobic (airless) environment, natural microflora (lactic acid bacteria) ferment the pollen (2-3 weeks). This breaks down the pollen’s outer shell (exine), produces probiotics, and increases nutrient bioavailability.
Nutritional/functional properties
Fermentation makes perga superior to pollen. Since pollen’s indigestible outer membrane is broken down, perga’s nutrients are more easily absorbed. Perga may
contain more B vitamins and Vitamin K than pollen. It’s also a beneficial bee product for digestion, thanks to the resulting lactic acid and probiotics. Its high bioavailability makes it a potent supplement; its absorption is far more efficient than pollen.
Consumption and storage notes
Perga is extracted from cells or by crushing the comb, usually sold in granules or crushed. Its taste is more sour and balsamic than pollen. It can be chewed directly or mixed with honey or yogurt. Though durable, store it in a sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place. Refrigeration is an option.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Consumers have many questions about bee products. Topics include identifying real honey, choosing propolis forms, royal jelly risks, and perga-pollen differences. This section provides short, clear answers to common questions about these hive substances.
How can I identify real honey?
Identifying real honey with home tests (water, burning, freezing) is impossible; they are misleading. The most reliable method is laboratory analysis (proline, diastaz, HMF, C4 sugars). The consumer’s best approach is choosing reliable, inspected brands with clear production permits, batch numbers, and origin on the label.
Propolis drops or capsules?
This depends on preference and use. Drops (alcohol- or water-based extracts) offer flexible dosing, can be used directly (in water/honey), and suit oral/throat applications. Capsules are practical for those avoiding the taste or needing convenience. The key factor is a standardized amount of active ingredients (phenolic/flavonoid ratio).
Who should not use royal jelly?
Royal jelly has strong biological activity. It can trigger serious reactions, especially in people allergic to bee products (honey, pollen), asthma patients, and those with atopic constitutions. Due to views of potential hormone-like effects, those with hormone-sensitive conditions or who are pregnant/breastfeeding must consult a doctor.
What is the difference between Perga and pollen?
The key difference is processing. Pollen is the raw, unprocessed material from the flower. Perga (bee bread) is this pollen stored in cells, mixed with honey and bee enzymes, and has undergone lactic acid fermentation. Perga is the fermented, more digestible, and bioavailable form of pollen.
Is beeswax edible?
Beeswax (E901) is used in the food industry in tiny amounts as a safe food coating or glazing agent. The human digestive system cannot break it down; it has no nutritional value and is excreted. Eating the wax in pure honeycomb is generally harmless. However, eating beeswax directly is not recommended.
Is bee venom therapy safe?
No, bee venom therapy (apitherapy) is not generally safe and carries serious risks. The greatest danger is anaphylactic shock. Allergy to bee venom is not negligible in the population and can be life-threatening. Such therapies must only be considered in fully-equipped health facilities, under physician supervision, after allergy testing, and with emergency intervention capabilities.