Hayfever honey

Alf Brugman Beekeeping Blog

Many people contact us in late winter enquiring about our hayfever honey because they anticipate that the imminent arrival of spring will be accompanied by the onset of the usual symptoms of hayfever.

The many pollens released by grasses and flowers which are released as tiny grains and spread by the wind are the main cause of these symptoms and are in high concentrations in the air during this time.

Honeybees collect pollen from flowers as their main source of protein and add it to the honey to make bee bread which is eaten by themselves and fed to the developing brood. It is thought that eating honey may help our immune systems to recognise the pollens that are ingested and allow the body to not react to them as hayfever over a period of time.

It is important to realise that this is usually a slow process and that best results occur when a little honey is eaten several times a week throughout the entire year rather than just before spring.

We have placed some of our hives in areas which have lots of flowering weeds and grasses so that the bees collect as large a variety of pollens as possible. Generally these areas are located so that the pollens similar to those which are blown over southern Victoria are collected by the bees. Many people have bought our hayfever honey over the years and keep buying it each year and some report that it acts quite quickly but we don’t hear back from everyone. It may not work for everyone but we have had positive feedback and we hope you think it is worth a try.