Our Honey in the Headlines: Bees on the Mid North Coast versus Superbugs
news: HONEY AND medicine
We hear all the time from people who have used our honey to treat sore throats to wounds (on humans through to horses!). And we’ve always known there’s something special about native Australian flora and what our bees do with it, but it’s been extra exciting to see science stepping up and putting some of that honey (our honey!) through lab tests, and the results are in.
When our region was recovering from the devastating NSW bushfires of 2019, a new honey study was launched by the University of Sydney thanks to a New South Wales Bushfire Industry Recovery Package Sector Development Grant.
We at The Beekeeper® were one of a number of beekeepers asked to provide honey samples for it – and the results are now in. Golden staph (Staphylococcus aureus) and E. coli watch out!
The new study published in MicrobiologyOpen shows that honeys from Australia’s native flora can stop bacterial growth – even when diluted down to as little as 10%. That’s no small thing when you’re talking about bacteria that have learned to shrug off conventional antibiotics.
This research was led by Kenya Fernandes, an ARC DECRA Fellow in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at The University of Sydney. The team analysed 56 honey samples from more than 35 apiaries across NSW.
They specifically looked at honeys made by bees foraging on a mix of native plants like eucalyptus, leptospermum and melaleuca – and they found something fascinating:
more than three-quarters of these honeys stopped bacteria from growing even at very low concentrations.
It’s not just about strong honey – it’s about why it works to treat issues like Staph and E-Coli. The scientists think it comes down to a rich combination of natural antimicrobial factors working together:
- hydrogen peroxide,
- plant-derived phenolic compounds, and
- antioxidants, all acting on bacteria in different ways at once.
“When bacteria encounter honey, this combination acts on several fronts at once. The low moisture content draws water out of bacterial cells, while the acidity disrupts their metabolism. Hydrogen peroxide damages their cellular structures, and phenolic and antioxidant compounds interfere with their ability to function and reproduce,” says the study in their piece for The Conversation.
That’s good news and good science – because the more ways you attack bacteria, the harder it is for them to adapt and survive. And considering that antibiotic-resistant infections are being described in the news as a “silent pandemic” that kills around 100 Australians every week, the timing couldn’t be more meaningful.
Here are some other stories if you want to read deeper about the study:
Sydney Morning Herald: This crisis kills 100 Australians a week. A solution might be in your pantry (Feb 18 2026)
The Conversation: Honey from Australian wildflowers has potent power to kill bacteria
Why This Matters – and Why it Feels Good for Us Too
As beekeepers, we’re literally in the business of helping bees turning native flowers into something sweet and nourishing. But to have proof that honey might also help in the fight against hard-to-treat infections? That’s a whole other level of good.
Here’s what our head beekeeper, Daryl, had to say:
“We’ve always known there’s something special about the honey we and our bees produce here on the Mid North Coast – it’s why we love tending these hives every day. To see scientists now showing that honey from our backyard could play a role in people’s health and healing – that’s incredibly validating. It makes all those early mornings and long days with the bees feel even more worth it.”
It’s not medical advice – we still need proper clinical trials and more work before honey becomes a standard treatment in hospitals. But what this research does do is expand the conversation about how nature can complement scientific approaches to health.
What This Means for You (and Us)
If you’ve ever spooned a bit of honey on a sore throat, you’ve joined a tradition that goes back thousands of years. Today, scientists are starting to unravel why honey might work – not just because it’s sticky and sweet, but because of the complex chemistry bees and flowers create together.
Whether you’re using honey for flavour, healing, or just sweet relief, there’s a growing body of evidence showing natural products like ours deserve a seat at the science and medical table.
If you’d like some of our Manuka shipped to you, you can order online here, or pick it up next time you’re at the markets.
