Maya Sunny Honey

We live in a society where civilization on an enormous scale affects the entire world. We as humans are very quick to adapt to change. Change to climate, change to technology and change to biology. We tend to forget that bees are one of the few very important things left on earth that has not changed. No bees, no honey, No honey, no pollination. No pollination, no life. Bees pollinate flowers, flowers grow fruit, fruit feed the animals, and we eat animals. The most common product from bees is honey, bees also produce pollen, propolis, royal jelly, wax and sting. It is an important cycle that we tend to sometimes forget. It is important to keep our bees healthy and strong for us to live. If we help them they will help us. ‘If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years to live.’ Albert Enstein

On top of keeping our bees healthy we need to protect them from diseases and be informed of what is happening around the world. We need to support Australian Beekeepers and farmers. Currently the most common 3 diseases affecting the bee colony are:

The Varroa mite is a tiny mite that is no bigger that a sesame seed. It attaches themesleves onto the bees draining out their blood, leaving the bees more susceptible to disease. The mite sticks onto the back of bee until the bee gets inside the hive. The Varroa then jumps off and starts multiplying its larvae in the comb. Thankfully the Varroa mite has not yet hit Asutralia.

The Small Beetle Hive is a pest that eventually destroys a bee colony and takes over the hive. This small beetle acts as a bee causing damage to comb, stored honey and pollen. Beetle larvae may channel through combs of honey, feeding and defecating, causing fermentation to the honey. Unlike Varroa the small beetle hive flies.

Colony Collapse Disorder is where bees abruptly disappear from a hive. It is not exactly known why they do not come back into the hive. This may be caused from the Varroa mite, The small Beetle Hive, Interference of radiation, or even chemicals and pesticides being sprayed on crops.

Andrew Wyszynski is the founder of Maya Sunny Honey. Andrew is second generation beekeeper. Both of Andrew’s parents are beekeepers. Growing up in Poland Andrew was introduced to bees at a very young age. He would always be helping out at the farm. When Andrew finished secondary school he knew what he wanted to do – become an Apiarist. Once Andrew completed his 5 year Apiarist Diploma he lectured and taught students at the college. Andrew was always so fascinated by bees. He came up with an idea to show everyone how bees work without the help of a human touch. The natural beauty of bees producing honeycomb.

In 1988, Andrew decided to move to Australia to live his dream as a beekeeper. With Australia having the ideal climate for beekeeping he knew where he had to go. Andrew starting working with insemination of Queen Bee production for an international company. With a language barrier it was quite difficult for Andrew to peruse his dream of becoming a beekeeper. In 2006, Andrew established his own brand Maya Sunny Honey selling honey to friends and family. In 2007 Andrew exhibited at Apimondia Melbourne (a world bee exhibition). Andrew received such a great response that he wanted to take it to the next level. In 2009, Andrew & Maya Sunny Honey represented Australia at Apimondia in Montpellier France. With an overwhelming response and a silver medal Andrew knew he had to share his vision with the world. Not everyone is able to go out onto a farm and experience nature. So he decided to bring nature to them.

In 2011, Maya Sunny Honey re launched with a new identity. Maya Sunny Honey is a 100% raw honey range. Our unique product that sets us apart from other beekeepers is our honeycomb. The production of our honeycomb is a unique system where a set of 30 empty jars are placed upside down on top of a beehive. The bees travel from the hive into each jar creating honeycomb from scratch with no foundation to start off with. It takes roughly 4 weeks for the one jar to be complete. It’s taken Andrew 30 years to create this unique system. The system of getting the bees into the jar is difficult but to get them out is even harder. How he does that is a secret! It is a very delicate and precise process. This system is 100% natural. You get the product as it is straight from the beehive. When you open the lid of the jar, on the neck of the jar you will find a layer of Propolis. A natural antibiotic. The wax and honey also contain lots of enzymes. The air of a working beehive is also captured in each jar. We believe we are the only ones in the world with this unique honeycomb system. Beekeepers are still fascinated as to how Andrew does this. Other Maya Sunny Honey products include Honey Twins (2 honey’s in one jar) Macadamia Crunch (Macadamia nuts covered in honey) Iron Bark and Stringy Bark honey.

Maya Sunny Honey is a family run business. Everyone has contributed to the final product. From picking the jars to how we display our tastings/ exhibitions. Andrew has a very strong vision on how he wants the brand to look like. The packaging is all does by hand. We want you to not only have the most deliciously raw honey but we also want to make sure it looks good visually.

With just over a year in business, Maya Sunny Honey has had an enormous following and support from the public. From amazing stockist, such as Dick Smith Fine Foods, The General Store Donna Hay, Quarter Twenty One to Magazine mentions such as Vogue Living, The Gourmet Traveller, The Sunday Telegraph Body + Soul to meeting and having support from the most amazing Chef’s and personals such as Justin North, Chef Kate, Therese Kerr, Donna Hay, Dick Smith and Manu.

We are also very proud to have received 2 awards from Mudgee Fine Food Festivals 2011 for our honeycomb and honey twins, being a finalist at the Create Awards 2011 for identity/ Branding and are currently a finalist for the delicious. Produce Awards 2012.

We can’t wait for our next chapter!

For more information about Maya Sunny Honey 100% raw honey range visit: www.mayasunnyhoney.com.au