FAQ
- Do you have normal honey?
All our honey types are regular, harvested from hive to jar, no additions or alterations. Honey types and flavors come from the type of resource the bees feed on. Oak honey is dark, has a woody taste, is low in sweetness, and stays liquid. Citrus honey has a clear color, is very perfumed, and it crystallizes so it becomes spreadable on bread.
- Is there sugar in your honey?
No. Our honey is 100% natural. Our bees have never been fed any unnatural substances (like sugar) throughout their lives.
- Why do some of your honey crystallize if they do not contain sugar?
Some honey contains high fructose levels which lead to a fast crystallization, like nectar honey (for example Citrus Honey). This happens even if the honey does not contain sugar. Other honey richer in glucose crystallizes way slower, like honeydew (for example Oak Honey). You can learn more about honey crystallization if you head over to our blog!
- Is your honey pesticide-free?
Yes. We take all necessary steps to ensure our honey is free from antibiotic usage and pesticide residue, in partnership with our beekeepers of course.
- Is your honey organic?
No. However, we make sure to choose the best locations for our beehives and specify the regions of every honey on the jar. All of our regions are wild and biodiverse regions, except for the Orange Blossom and the Loquat honey that contain plantations. Moreover, all of our honey is tested and guaranteed free of antibiotic or pesticide residue. They are also sugar-free.
- What is the difference between L’Atelier du Miel raw honey and industrial honey?
Our bees are healthier because we make sure to move the hives every three months to a different location. By doing so, we follow flower blossoms and give our bees a great selection of natural resources to pick from. This leads to honey richer in enzymes and vitamins.
We never use antibiotics. Our honey is antibiotic and pesticide residue-free. We use natural, traditional means to treat our bees.
We follow the best standards to extract our honey. We never heat, blend, or alter the honey in any way.
- Do you have Manuka honey?
We do not. We choose to rely on local sourcing especially since our raw honey has very similar qualities to Manuka honey.
- What is the difference between raw honey and Manuka honey?
Manuka honey is a type of honey native to New Zealand. It is rich in natural vitamins and minerals. Manuka honey has antibacterial properties not found in traditional raw honey, called methylglyoxal or MGO. This compound can fight bacteria and infection. Manuka honey has several health benefits (soothing sore throats, maintaining oral health, curing digestive symptoms, wound treatments, and others).
Raw honey is honey in its purest form extracted from honeycombs. It does not undergo any processing before being sold nor is anything added to it or removed. It is pure, unaltered natural honey. It contains minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. It also has several health benefits. Raw honey has the advantage of being more accessible and can be found in different flavors depending on the local biodiversity. Each type of raw honey has a list of health benefits associated with it.
- Is Manuka honey better than raw honey?
Both types of honey have their own benefits for the human body. The main difference is that Manuka honey is more expensive and harder to find than raw honey.
- What is white honey?
White honey is a type of crystallized honey with very fine grains and almost white in color.
- Do you have honey from Yemen?
No, we only sell Lebanese honey.
- How is raw honey different from sugar?
Honey contains 30% fewer calories than sugar.
Our body digests honey more easily than it does sugar because honey is made up of natural sugar (fructose and glucose) whereas sugar is made up of sucrose. Honey has already been digested by the bees so it contains simple sugars more easily absorbed by the human body.
In addition, honey has a greater sweetening capacity than sugar, which allows you to sweeten your tea, herbal tea, and yogurt with a much smaller quantity than sugar.
Honey contains 20% fewer carbohydrates than sugar. It also contains vitamins, proteins, minerals, and antioxidants. Sugar doesn’t contain any.
- Why is some honey more expensive than others?
The difference in prices is due to the way honey is extracted and maintained. We try our best to provide you with the best product quality for the best affordable price.
Honey bought from local companies cannot be compared with store-bought honey. Local honey requires more effort and more attention that is true, but it also has greater qualities than honey dosed with sugar you can find in supermarkets at a very cheap price.
Moreover, our honey is guaranteed antibiotic and pesticide residue-free. It is 100% natural and is richer in enzymes and other vitamins. You are literally buying yourself some health by buying our natural honey.
- How come L’Atelier du Miel has so many different types of honeys?
We have so many different types of honey because we have beehives spread all over Lebanon to provide you with a great selection from which to choose.
- Do you flavor, perfume or add additional ingredients to your honey?
No. Our honey is 100% natural with no additives or human intervention. Taste difference comes from the natural sources of honey, nectar or honeydew.
- What raw honey type do you recommend?
Every type of honey has its own characteristics. Each one has a different texture, sweetness level, after taste, usage, benefits, and more. We love all our products equally, so we recommend you taste each flavor and decide which one you like most!
- What is the best raw honey from L’Atelier du Miel?
Every type of honey has its own characteristics. Each one has a different texture, sweetness level, after taste, usage, benefits, and more. We love all our products equally, so we recommend you taste each flavor and decide which one is the best for you!
- Where should I store my honey jars?
Store your jars in a dry place. Honey is a natural product that will not spoil at ambient temperatures. Whilst it is not essential to store it in the refrigerator, the cold will not in itself harm your honey. You should be aware that humidity does have the potential to spoil honey.
- What is the shelf life of your raw honey?
Given the right storage conditions, honey can last for a very long time. However, as time passes, it will begin to lose its taste and natural benefits. As a general rule of thumb, honey can remain at its best for up to two years.
- How do you test the quality of your raw honey?
We test the quality in a laboratory. We usually test for several components including sugar levels, pollen levels, as well as antibiotics, pesticide residue, and others.
- How can I test the quality of your honey myself?
We do not know of one simple quality test that can be done at home that would reveal the answer you are hoping for. The only relevant test in our opinion is one conducted at a laboratory.
Taste and basic observations are the most reliable tests for people who are experienced with honey. Honey that is unnaturally thick, or honey that is over-perfumed or tasteless, gives sensorial clues that, perhaps, it has been altered.
- What do you feed your bees?
Our bees feed exclusively from two natural sources: aphids’ gum and nectar.
- Where are your beehives located?
Our beehives are distributed all over Lebanon to follow the flower blossoms and different biodiversity.
- Where do you fill your jars and produce your jams and delicacies?
Our jars are filled at our L’Atelier du Miel workshop. Our jams and delicacies are made there too. Everything we do is done by hand by well-trained individuals and under the supervision of the founder’s mother. She makes sure every product is made with the care and love it deserves following strict quality standards of course. Our kitchen is open for visitors. You can check our opening hours on the main page of our website.
- Where are your accessories made?
While helping our hives on their annual journey across Lebanon, we had the chance to meet talented, local artisans. They craft our wood and brass honey dippers, our terracotta honey pots, and our unique wooden gift packages.
Health and Nutrition
- Can I consume raw honey while pregnant?
Yes. It is safe to eat raw honey while pregnant, given that a woman’s digestive system fights bacteria, so the botulism toxin is unlikely to pass to the baby.
IMPORTANT: It is advised to consult your doctor before consuming any honey product if you are pregnant.
- At what age can my child consume raw honey?
Under the age of 1, infants’ digestive systems aren’t developed enough to safely handle all of the bacteria found in raw honey. Not all raw honey contains bacteria, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
IMPORTANT: It is advised to consult your doctor before administering any honey product to your child to monitor their intake and in case they are allergic.
- Can my child consume royal jelly?
Yes. Royal Jelly has a lot of benefits and is safe for children.
IMPORTANT: It is advised to consult your doctor before administering any honey product to your child to monitor their intake and in case they are allergic.
- I am diabetic. Can I consume raw honey?
Honey affects blood sugar levels. It is advised to avoid it and other sweeteners until your diabetes is under control. If your diabetes is well-controlled and you want to add honey to your diet, choose pure, organic, or raw natural honey.
IMPORTANT: It is advised to consult your doctor before consuming any honey product if you have diabetes.
- Are your delicacies gluten-free?
All of our delicacies are gluten-free except for “Mann W Salwa” since it contains white flour.
- How many calories are there in your delicacies?
You can check the calories in the description of each delicacy.
- Is L’Atelier du Miel jam organic?
It is not organic, but we always use high-quality fruits along with our natural, pure, raw, and single-origin honey. It is guaranteed antibiotic and pesticide-free.
- How many calories are there in honey?
A tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories. A teaspoon of honey contains 30 calories.
The Moving Hive
- Is this a one-time fee or a yearly one?
This is a yearly subscription to produce your yearly supply of authentic natural honey.
- What if the bees come close to the family? How is the travel discipline of a bee?
Bees do not usually approach humans or food. Wasps do.
For your safety, we take several measures before and after setting up the hives:
First, we visit the location to confirm that it is 100% safe.
Second, we make sure to place the hives in a location where the flight routes of the bees do not cross with human routes.
Third, we make sure to provide you with calm and peaceful bees.
Finally, we treat the bees very gently upon our visits and we visit regularly to make sure everything stays in order.
- When is my installation time? When is my harvest time? What is the typical beekeeping duration from start to end?
Following our site visit, we can define the best time the bees would be placed in your land depending on the altitude and the type of flowers found there.
- Can I have kids attending a beekeeping session with costumes?
Absolutely! We’d love to have them. You just need to notify us in advance to get the necessary outfits.
- What’s my guarantee that honey to be delivered to me is the one that has been harvested from my own garden?
We harvest the honey and fill it on-site in your presence for full transparency.
- Will I be able to spray my garden in the presence of your bees? Does this affect them in any way?
If the garden is sprayed during the flowering season, the bees cannot be placed before the flowering season has passed. Once the season has passed, and if the fruit is sprayed, a 70m distance from the spraying site needs to be provided for the bees. The distance will guarantee minimum to no contact with the pesticides.
- Can I customize my own private label?
Yes, you can! We can also help you with customization options like color, logo, text…
- Any risk from bees over my farm animals (chickens, goats, lambs…)?
You should avoid having physical contact between the animals and the hives. When bees feel threatened, they attack.
- What if your beehives get stolen? Whose liability is this?
In our vetting process, we only accept sites with very low risk of vandalism or theft. If the hives are stolen without any major fault from the customer, we do not charge the customer any compensation.
- Why can’t I keep the hives on my premises season after season?
Honeybees are placed in your site during the blossom season to produce your unique honey. After that season is over, we move them to a different location so they can keep producing. If they stay after the season is over, they will not be able to produce the preferred amount of honey.
- How do you treat Varroa mite infestation?
We use only the best methods that do not leave any pesticide residue to treat the Varroa mite.
- Do you offer beekeeping courses along with this program?
We offer a proper beekeeping course in the autumn season and not during this program. However, you can choose to accompany the beekeeper at every site visit to learn more about bees and beekeeping.
- How can I monetize by subscribing to this program?
If you are a business and would like to resell the honey produced with L’Atelier Du Miel, we can offer you a special discount for orders above certain quantities.
- Can I offer you my premises to host your beehives and get free honey in return?
Yes and yes. It is possible and we do offer honey in return as a gift from us to you.
For now, we have set locations for our apiaries. However, if you have lands that may be suitable to host apiaries, please do reach out to us. We will keep them in mind for when we are in need of new lands.
- In between seasons, what happens to the queen and the bees that produced my honey?
Bees live for 30 days on average and the queen lives for 3 years. The queen bee continues growing and leading the colony. We help it by placing the hives in favorable locations.
- Does this program offer me honeycombs or royal jelly? If the answer is no, why not?
You can either choose to fill jars with your honey or keep the honey in its combs. However, we do not offer royal jelly. The production of royal jelly is done in specific seasons and the hive needs to be dedicated to royal jelly production. A regular beehive cannot produce both royal jelly and honey. Royal jelly production also requires specific types of maintenance and tools.
- How many wooden frames do your hives contain?
At the beginning of the season, the colony is around 10 frames. It grows to 15 to 20 frames during the honey flow season.
- What are the dimensions of your typical wooden beehive?
Our wooden beehives are 45 x 90cm.
- In case of a bee sting, what medication do you recommend?
If you are not allergic to bee stings, a pharmacist could prescribe you an “antihistaminic” to alleviate the swelling.
If you are severely allergic to bee stings, you should carry an EpiPen on you at all times. Also, in case you get stung, head immediately to the ER.
- Where can I equip myself with a brand new beekeeping outfit?
We sell beekeeping equipment. Contact us to help you better in this regard.
