Aspen honey: whether it is produced, the composition and properties of the product, contraindications

Every person has heard about the beneficial properties of bee honey, but few people know about the existence of wasp honey. Far from all varieties of wasps produce a fragrant tasty product; honey-bearing types of insects are not found in Russia. Our wasps are much more aggressive than their southern counterparts, it will not work to get honey from their nest, and its amount is minimal. However, information about the properties of the product, its composition will certainly interest readers.

Do wasps make honey?

Wasps are the closest relatives of bees. They also feed on nectar and are able to pollinate plants.That is why the question arises whether wasps produce honey. Only southern varieties of insects are capable of producing the substance. In quantities suitable for collection, it is produced by 2 types of Hymenoptera:

• Mexican honey wasp can be found in the southern United States and Mexico. Large nests are located in the crowns of trees, built by insects from paper, which is produced by chewing wood and fermenting it with their own saliva.
• Polybia occidentalis, another type of honey wasp. They produce a product from nectar and prepare it for the winter for food. Insects also live in Mexico and the southern states of the USA.

The substance produced by insects is not honey in the usual sense. Bees use their proboscis to collect nectar and add a large amount of enzymes contained in saliva to the product. Wasps bring nectar to the dwelling on their paws, remaining on the walls of the nest, after a while it turns into a fragrant sweet substance that can be eaten by people.

Composition and appearance of the product

Insects collect nectar from plants closest to the nest. Therefore, wasp honey has a unique taste and smell. It is a fragrant substance with a high content of pollen.

Important: plants located near a wasp nest may be poisonous, in which case the product will be dangerous to humans.

The substance does not contain the healing properties inherent in bee honey, but it is tasty, sweet, with a bright smell of flowers. Wasp honey features:

• thick substance of dark color;
• high in protein and sugar;
• high pollen content;
• crystallizes quickly while maintaining taste;
• has a strong floral scent.

It is rich in calcium and minerals, but hymenoptera predators do not produce the substance in large quantities, so few people had a chance to try it, especially in our latitudes.

How is it different from a bee?

Wasps produce the substance little by little, the product has no industrial value. Insects do not add enzymes to the collected substance, so it differs significantly from bee in composition and does not have pronounced healing properties.

Bees collect flower nectar with their proboscis, the enzymes of the salivary glands of insects enter the finished product, providing honey with a unique composition. Bees are hard workers - they produce a significant amount of a valuable product, providing for their own family and generously sharing with a person.

Wasps do not procure the substance on purpose, produce it in small quantities, the vicious nature of insects makes extraction difficult, so it is practically not found on sale.

Benefits and contraindications of wasp honey

The composition of the sweetness produced by wasps contains proteins, mineral elements (a significant amount of calcium), fructose, plant pollen. The substance is nutritious, but is not used in traditional medicine. It is contraindicated in people prone to allergic reactions, suffering from diabetes.

Aspen honey is used in food, it is used in cosmetology for the production of anti-aging masks and creams due to its high content of antioxidants that provide skin protection from aging.

There are no honey wasps in Russia, so this product should be treated with caution.

A small amount of sweetness collected by insects for their own needs may contain pollen from poisonous plants, such a product can easily poison a person.

How to spot a fake

Natural wasp honey is brought in small quantities from America. It is almost impossible to buy sweets in our country. A fake has no nutritional value, usually it is dark molasses, sweet, but not containing useful elements. Natural nectar dries quickly and crystallizes. Habitual bee honey is much more useful for humans.

Product storage terms and conditions

Keep the sweetness in a cool place under a tight lid. Crystallizing, it does not lose its qualities.

Of course, the information that not only bees produce a familiar and favorite delicacy is interesting for people, but most people will never try a product made by wasps.You should not be sad about this, because the familiar and beloved bee honey is more accessible and useful for humans.

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