Home › Local Honey for Allergies in Florida

Local Honey for Allergies in Florida

Every spring, oak and pine pollen turns Florida cars yellow, and people start asking us whether local honey helps with allergies. Here's our honest answer as beekeepers.

The idea

Raw honey contains small amounts of pollen from the plants the bees visited. The theory is that eating a little local pollen regularly helps your body get used to it, a bit like how allergy shots work.

What the research says

The evidence is mixed. A few small studies found people who ate honey had fewer symptoms, and others found no difference. One catch: most seasonal allergies come from wind-blown pollen like oak, pine and grasses, while bees mostly collect heavier flower pollen. So think of local honey as a tasty, natural habit rather than a treatment, and talk to your doctor about allergies.

If you want to try it

• Get it raw. Heated, fine-filtered store honey has had most of the pollen removed.
• Get it truly local. Our honey comes from hives in Hernando County, foraging on the same oak, wild grape, blackberry and saw palmetto around Spring Hill and Brooksville.
• Start before the season. Many customers start a spoonful a day in January or February, before Florida's spring pollen peaks.
• Try comb honey. Raw honeycomb is honey exactly as it came from the hive.

Who shouldn't

Never give honey to babies under 1 year old. If you're allergic to bee stings or pollen, check with your doctor first.

Want to know how local honeys taste different? Read our guide to types of honey.

Questions we get a lot

Does local honey help with allergies?

The research is mixed. Some small studies show a benefit and others don't. Many people enjoy a daily spoonful of raw local honey, but it isn't a substitute for allergy treatment.

How much local honey should I eat for allergies?

People who try it usually take about a teaspoon to a tablespoon a day, starting a month or two before allergy season.

Is your honey local to Hernando County?

Yes. Our hives are in Hernando County, Florida, and we jar the honey ourselves.