Yesterday we were lucky enough to join our good friend while she harvested honey from her stingless bees. This is similar to what we’ve done when we’ve camped with the Hadzabe when they harvest honey.
It started with a plain looking wooden box with a small hole for the bees to enter and exit
Anderson helped pry off the top (sealed with wax by the bees)
Then the kids found the “honey pots” and popped them to let the honey ooze out while trying not to disturb the main comb, so that the ‘bees’ could do it all over again.
Honey mixed with pollen
The eerily beautiful wax formations on the inside of the lid
After we let the honey drip to the bottom, we poured it into a bowl.
Then warmed and strained out the bits and pieces until we were left with a jar of very yummy, slightly citrus tasting honey.
Thanks, Chelsea, for teaching us a bit about harvesting honey and also getting us more curious about the whole process of how the bees make honey.
Not only did we collect honey this weekend, “we” learned to finger knit (Tierney really did it all by herself), started a piñata including making our own paper mache glue (we’re waiting for our glue to dry), made bouncy balls, baked raspberry muffins, and went to a bonfire party. Not a bad way to spend a weekend while Matt’s out of town.
