Azeleas

[bwallace23350]

There is a man that lives near my hives with lots of Azeleas. Will my bees flock to the blooms in springs?

[richter1978]

Lots of azaleas around me and I don't think I've seen anything but large bumble/carpenter type bees on them. Also, pretty sure that azaleas when foraged on produce a toxic and psychoactive honey. Rodadendron(spelling?) honey is also, they are closely related. Check out the hallucinogenic honey hunters vid on YouTube.

[richter1978]

Also should have asked where you live. Honeybees in your area may love azaleas! It's a good idea to add your location to your profile, all beekeeping is local!

[bwallace23350]

Yeah the dangerous honey is what I am afraid of.  I am around Montgomery Alabama. I might just not put on a super until the azelas have stopped blooming to fix that problem. They are old and not encore Azeleas

[Dallasbeek]

I have an encore azalea in a large pot right by my back door and have never seen a bee on it, though they constantly go to a bird bath 10 feet away for water.  I wouldn't worry about it.

[don2]

Don't fret, Azalea's are not worked by honey bees. It is the cousin of the azalea that is bad. Mountain Laurel  d2

[Dallasbeek]

Don't fret, Azalea's are not worked by honey bees. It is the cousin of the azalea that is bad. Mountain Laurel  d2

Scared me with that one.  I posted in another string that my bees are all over a neighbor's Texas Mountain Laurel.  Checked and it's a totally different genus.  (whew!)

[bwallace23350]

That is good. I was starting to think that I  might not even try for Spring honey for this reason.

[sc-bee]

Never see bees on ours... and yes it is a certain rhododendron that produces the toxic honey which by the way fetches a nice price I believe in Turkey.