Pakistan · Bee Products
Every day, inside every beehive something bizarre happens.
What this guide covers
- What is Honey Bee Royal Jelly (HBR)?
- Royal Jelly is made by nurse bees
- One hive, two very different lives
- What is inside Royal Jelly?
- What is the difference between Royal Jelly and Honey
- How Khaas Honey is made into Royal Jelly Honey by Pakistan
- Royal Jelly Beri Honey: How people use it traditionally
- Honey Bee Royal Jelly: Frequently Asked questions
Key Takeaways
- What they are fed when they are babies is the only difference between a queen bee and a worker bee.
- A queen can develop in 15.5 days as opposed to the 21 days it takes for a worker.
- Fresh royal jelly is roughly 67% water, 12.5% protein and 6% fatty acids, including a compound called 10-HDA.
- Royal jelly is made fresh by nurse bees and is rarely stored the way honey is.
- Khaas Honey blends fresh royal jelly with raw Beri honey, sourced from a third generation honey family in Karak, KPK.
Two bee larvae may have almost identical genes. The worker bee will live for only a few days. The other can live many years and lay thousands eggs.
What they are fed when they are babies is the only difference.
Honey bee royal jelly is one of nature's most unique foods. This guide will explain what royal jelly honey is, how it is made, what's inside, and how it is used to make Khaas Honey Royal Jelly Beri Honey.
What is Honey Bee Royal Jelly (HBR)?
Honey bee royal jelly is a thick white milky substance produced by the young bees in the hive. It's not honey or pollen. It is produced by glands on the head of a worker bee, and not by flowers.
In the first three day of their life, every bee larva gets a taste. The majority of larvae switch to honey and pollen as their diet after that. One type of larva eats royal jelly throughout its life. This is the larva that will become the queen.
Khaas Honey Royal Jelly Beri Honey, made with royal jelly, is often referred to as royal jelly honey when royal jelly is mixed into raw honey.
Royal Jelly is made by nurse bees
Honey is stored in the hive, but royal jelly isn't collected from flowers. The bees make it fresh on demand.
The Glands Behind the Jelly
The hypopharyngeal glands and the mandibular ones are located in the heads of young worker bees. These glands work together to produce and mix jelly, which is then fed to larvae. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization guide to bee-products states that royal jelly should always be fed to the queen immediately after its production. Royal jelly is rarely stored like honey.
How Nurse Bees Make Royal Jelly
From gland to larva
The Youngest Bees' Job
Not all worker bees make royal jelly. This is a job that young nurse bees do, who are usually between the ages of five and fifteen. These bees' glands change roles as they age, and they begin to perform other duties in the hive like foraging. Penn State Extension's guide to queen-cell production states that beekeepers who rear queens prime cell cups before transferring the larvae, as royal jelly is essential to how queen cells are built and fed.
One hive, two very different lives
The story is about to get interesting.
Each Larva starts the same way
Royal jelly is fed to all larvae in the hive for the first three days following hatching. All larvae, including future queens, worker larvae and drone larvae start on the same food.
One Hive, Two Very Different Lives
What every larva eats, day by day
Menu Splits
After the third day, something has changed. The honey-pollen mixture called beebread is given to worker and drone larvae. The larvae that are chosen to be queens continue to receive royal jelly in large quantities throughout their entire adult life.
This difference is dramatic. According to FAO figures, a queen can develop in 15.5 days as opposed to the 21 days it takes for a worker. A queen can survive for many years while a worker is usually only alive for a few weeks or months. The same genes, the same hive and completely different results can all be traced to one food.
What is inside Royal Jelly?
The royal jelly is a complex substance for something that comes from the bees' head.
The freshest royal jelly, according to Wikipedia's Royal Jelly entry, is approximately:
67% of the is water, keeping it soft for bees.
12.5% of protein including a unique family of proteins in royal jelly
11% simple Sugars, mostly fructose
6% of fatty acids include a compound known as 10-HDA, which is almost never found in nature.
Trace minerals and small amounts of B vitamins (particularly vitamin B5 & B6), along with trace minerals
What's Inside Royal Jelly
Approximate composition of fresh royal jelly
Water
67% of the total, keeping it soft for the bees.
Protein
12.5%, including a unique family of proteins in royal jelly.
Simple Sugars
11%, mostly fructose.
Fatty Acids
6%, including a compound called 10-HDA, almost never found elsewhere in nature.
Scientists continue to study the compounds and their use by bee colonies around the globe. This research is still ongoing and is one reason royal jelly is so well studied by entomologists.
What is the difference between Royal Jelly and Honey
Some people mistakenly believe royal jelly to be a more upscale version of honey. It's not.
Some people mistakenly believe royal jelly to be a more upscale version of honey. It's not.
Honey is made from flower nectar that bees collect and process. They then store it as a food source to last for a long time. Royal jelly has always been different. It's not even made of nectar. It's a secretion glandular produced inside the head of a nurse bee, and is used immediately.
Both look different and have different functions in the hive. Royal jelly honeys, such as Khaas Honey's Royal Jelly Beri Honey combine both products into one by blending raw honey with fresh royal jelly.
| Royal Jelly | Honey | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | A glandular secretion from a nurse bee's head | Made from flower nectar bees collect and process |
| Storage | Used immediately, rarely stored | Stored in the hive as a long-term food source |
| Role in Hive | Fed to all larvae early on, then only to future queens | General food source for the whole colony |
How Khaas Honey is made into Royal Jelly Honey by Pakistan
Khaas Honey blends raw Beri honey with fresh royal jelly, using methods handed down by a family of honey-sourcing families from Karak in KPK. Royal jelly is rarer in Pakistan than regular honey because it requires a skilled queen rearing process and quick handling after harvest. Instead of importing dried sachets the product is freshly bottled and lab tested before it reaches a customers' shelf.
Browse the entire range of Khaas honey on the Khaas homepage. This includes other varieties such as Sidr and Saffron. The Royal Honey VIP blend is also a good choice for a more potent royal jelly.
Royal Jelly Beri Honey: How people use it traditionally
In areas with a history of beekeeping, such as parts of Pakistan and other regions, royal jelly honey is taken in the morning by spoonfuls, either alone or mixed into a warm beverage. It is not considered a drug or substitute, but a natural product.
Before trying any new bee product, those with allergies to bees should consult their doctor.
After each use, store royal jelly honey in a dry, cool place away from sunlight. Keep the lid firmly closed.
Honey Bee Royal Jelly: Frequently Asked questions
How does royal jelly taste?
It is a sharp flavor that's slightly sour. Khaas Honey blends it with raw honey to make it easier to eat.
Does royal jelly have the same properties as royal honey or vice versa?
No. Most royal honey products have a completely different formula. Khaas Honey considers royal jelly-infused honey and the Royal Honey line to be two distinct product lines, not just one thing with different names.
Does royal jelly honey exist in Pakistan?
Yes. Khaas Honey is a Pakistani company that sources and bottles royal honey. It blends royal jelly with raw Beri honey, which comes from a family of third generation in Karak.
How many grams of royal jelly are in a jar Royal Jelly Beri Honey
It is important to note that the exact ratio can vary between small batches.
Can anyone eat royal jelly
The majority of people can. However, anyone who has an allergy to bee products should consult a physician first. Royal jelly is known to cause allergic reactions.
How to store royal jelly honey
After each use, store it in a dry, cool place away from sunlight. Keep the lid firmly closed.
Khaas Honey Royal Jelly Honey
Khaas Honey is a traditional honey blend that combines raw Beri honey with fresh royal jelly. It's sourced from a honey family of third generation in Karak, KPK and tested by labs before it gets to you.
Royal Jelly Beri Honey Now →