Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: bwallace23350 on March 09, 2018, 06:19:19 PM

Title: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: bwallace23350 on March 09, 2018, 06:19:19 PM
Has anyone ever seen a honey bee on Azaleas?
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: MikeyN.C. on March 09, 2018, 06:32:30 PM
Here in the sandhills of N.C.
The honeybees don't touch the older mature plants.
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: sc-bee on March 09, 2018, 08:58:49 PM
Nope.....usually something else in bloom....
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Acebird on March 09, 2018, 09:00:37 PM
I think they are toxic.
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Dallasbeek on March 09, 2018, 09:04:15 PM
I have an azalea right outside my back door.   I've never seen a bee on it in the ten years it has been there.
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Acebird on March 10, 2018, 08:38:10 AM
http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/top-ten-plants-are-bad-bees
Top ten.
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Barhopper on March 10, 2018, 09:28:34 AM
I have but not many. Around here the bumbles work them hard
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: tjc1 on March 10, 2018, 10:33:58 AM
I would have thought that bees would 'know' toxic plants to avoid...
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Acebird on March 10, 2018, 11:37:03 AM
They do because the ones that don't die.
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: BeeMaster2 on March 10, 2018, 02:21:09 PM
Azaleas are in the Rhododendron family. If the bees have nothing else they will collect it. It makes a toxic honey.
The Greeks left large vats of Mad Honey for 1000 Roman soldiers and then while they were incompasitated, slaughtered the entire army. This has been done several times in history.
Jim
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: The15thMember on March 10, 2018, 03:21:02 PM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on March 10, 2018, 02:21:09 PM
Azaleas are in the Rhododendron family. If the bees have nothing else they will collect it. It makes a toxic honey.
The Greeks left large vats of Mad Honey for 1000 Roman soldiers and then while they were incompasitated, slaughtered the entire army. This has been done several times in history.
Jim

Oh man, that is such a Greek thing to do!  Nobody was good at coming up with clever solutions when backed into corners like the Ancient Greeks.   :cool:

Is the honey made from Rhododendrons toxic to the bees as well, or just to mammals?     
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Acebird on March 11, 2018, 11:56:29 AM
#1 in post #5 link I provided.
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: The15thMember on March 11, 2018, 05:10:14 PM
Oops, sorry Ace.  Should have done my research first!  :embarassed:
Title: Re: Honey Bees and Azaleas
Post by: Michael Bush on March 12, 2018, 10:53:27 AM
Bees usually ignore azaleas.