Spring begins soon, which means the air is about to explode with pollen. And if you’ve heard that eating local honey will prevent the inevitable allergy attacks, we have some bad news: “There’s no validity to that,” says local allergist Dr. Joel Katz. “Flower pollen does not cause allergies; tree, grass and weed pollen causes allergies, and bees have no role in pollinating them.” Katz suggests the usual remedies—antihistamines, nasal steroids—but says that if you really want the honey, that’s okay. “It’s not going to do any harm,” he says. “But there’s no convincing evidence that it’s going to do any good, either.”