The Buzz about Native Bee Honey

Exciting new research by the University of Sydney has shown that native honey from three Australian stingless bees species, (Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula hockingsi and Austroplebeia australis), has the same strong antimicrobial properties as Manuka honey – and also some advantages.¹

Stingless bee honey (SBH)'s infection killing properties survive heat treatment, unlike Manuka honey. Also, the antimicrobial activity remains strong whichever plants the bees collect their nectar from, unlike Manuka honey, where the European bees need to have collected the nectar from the Manuka tree.

This is a very encouraging and may give us another way to tackle antibiotic resistant infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus skin infections.

Other Health Benefits of Stingless Bee Honey (SBH)

Stingless bee honey has been valued by First Nations peoples in Australia for millennia and used as both bush tucker (sugarbag honey)and medicinally for skin sores and wounds.

Laboratories studies have also shown that stingless bee honey acts :

• as an anti-inflammatory,
• as an anti-diabetic
• to delay skin aging, having anti-aging properties for the skin
• as an antioxidant
• to reduce blood lipid levels
• to benefit gut flora.²

What are Stingless Bees?

Stingless bees are found throughout the tropics and subtropical areas of the world, with about 600 species globally and 11 species in Australia. These bees are generally smaller than European honeybees, being around 4 millimetres long and resembling flies. While stingless bees don't sting, they can give little nips.

Each stingless bee hive produces about half a litre of dark, rich honey a year, much less than that from European honeybee hives.

What's in Stingless Bee Honey (SBH)?

SBH contains mainly sugars and water, along with other constituents (<1%) including flavonoids, minerals ( iron, zinc, copper and manganese), vitamins, enzymes, and proteins. ³

The exact composition will vary depending on:

• storage,
• from which plants the bees have collected nectar and
• the weather.

One sugar found only in SBH is called trehalulose.⁴ This is harder to break down that sucrose and so stingless bee honey has a lower glycaemic index than European bee honey. Stingless bee honey is also thought to be less harmful to the teeth.

Research has shown stingless bee honey to have more minerals, protein and antioxidant content compared to European bee honey and to be a nutritionally rich and medicinally valuable honey.

Where Can You Get Stingless Bee Honey?

Keeping native bee hives is becoming more popular so, as well as asking at your local health shop, you may also find stingless bee honey for sale at local markets.

Due to its superior medicinal qualities, plus the fact that stingless bees produce much less honey than European bees in a year, the price of stingless bee honey tends to much higher than that of ordinary honey.

Storage

Because of its high moisture content, stingless bee honey is best stored in the fridge to stop it fermenting.

Cautions about Stingless Bee Honey

Both European bee honey and stingless bee honey should not been eaten by children under the age of one. This is because honey may contain Clostridium botulinium spores which can cause infant botulism. These spores are not dangerous to adults and older children but can cause this serious illness in the first few years of life.

It is also advised not to give honey or any added sugar to children until they are two years old.

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Written by Sarah Isaacs, Naturopath and Nutritionist
Phone: (07) 4085 0054
Email: info@naturalhealthfocus.com.au

References:

1Fernandes KE, Levina A, Cokcetin NN, Haley D, Li J, Brooks P, Gloag R, Carter DA.2025.Strong antimicrobial activity and unique physicochemical characteristics in honey from Australian stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula hockingsi, and Austroplebeia australis. Appl Environ Microbiol91:e02523-24.https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02523-24

2Pimentel TC, Rosset M, de Sousa JMB, de Oliveira LIG, Mafaldo IM, Pintado MME, de Souza EL, Magnani M. Stingless bee honey: An overview of health benefits and main market challenges. J Food Biochem. 2022 Mar;46(3):e13883. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.13883. Epub 2021 Aug 2. PMID: 34338341.

3Pote CL, Shirsat DV, Mahadule PA, Gade KA, Pandit TR, Soumia PS, Thangasamy A, Kumar S, Mahajan V and 3. Karuppaiah V (2025) Biochemical, antioxidants, and mineral constituents of stingless bee honey. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 9:1546843. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1546843

4https://biologyinsights.com/stingless-bee-honey-surprising-properties-and-trehalulose/