HONEY

Honey in the history of Lithuania

Bees came to the Baltic countries from Spain about 5-6 thousand years ago, with the last glacier. Then, the warm loving plants spread, such as lindens and poplars. They provided bees with living place (hollows) and food. A man used honey and knew how to protect himself from bees thousands years ago. Lithuanian ancestors respected bees because they believed the man’s soul lived in a bee after death.

The trees where bees lived were saint and untouchable The trees where bees lived were saint and untouchable. It was a crime to cut such a tree. Beekeeper, whose bees lived in a tree, owned the tree too.

Bee products – wax and honey used to be sacrificed for gods. Honey was thought to be gods’ food and mead – gods’ drink.

Making honey

Bees swallow the mass of nectar and bring it back to mouth a lot of times, also they add some ferment, that keeps honey fresh.

To produce one kilogram of honey bees visit about 4 million of flowers. One bee makes 1,5 teaspoon of honey. =

External frame Compound eye Lip Basket Tongue

Bee family Queen bee Worker Drone

Bees stow pollen and honey into a comb

Bees form wax combs out of hexagonals to grow bee larvas and pour the honey in.

Bees collect pollen from the flowers with the help of its legs and tongue. They transfer pollen on its body and leg hair.

Bees nest Natural living place of bees is a tree hollow. A man keeps them in various hives.

Beekeepers put artificial foundations Beekeepers put artificial foundations. This is much faster way to make a comb. Plus, bees have more time to bring honey.

Those combs, that turn dark beekeepers melt, and the wax use for the comb foundation.

Propolis glue the frames and other parts of the hive Propolis glue the frames and other parts of the hive. Sometimes a beekeeper needs a special tool to separate them.

Ambrosia - provide the human organism with balanced and necessarry nutrition; prevents from different kinds of illnesses; strenghtens the immunal system and helps to heel itself.

Pollen It is a male sex cells of plants. Bees collect pollen for their food supplies and eat them. Pollen is collected from the various wild and cultivated plants. Each plant’s pollen shape and color is different.

Kinds of honey in Lithuania 1. Linden honey 2. Rape honey 3. Dandelion honey 4. Buckwheat honey 5. Clover honey 6. Heath honey 7. Meadow honey 8. Pine trees honey

1. Candles are founded in special forms. Wax candles are made in three ways. 1. Candles are founded in special forms. 2. Candles may be rolled out of comb foundation. 3. A wick is sodden several times in the hot wax or the wax is poured on. Such candles may be very long.

The most popular honey food products Midus (mead) is a fermented alcoholic drink. It is made from honey diluted with water and soured with wine yeast.

Meduolis (honey cake) sweet traditional cake.

Honey is food and a remedy. It heels, makes life longer and sweeter.

Thank You