Bee Stings and Pennies

[Cindi]

Brian, now that is interesting about comfrey.  Another use for this  beauty.  I have an enormous mother plant of this stuff.  It is now blooming, what a beautiful plant.  I find the bombus loves it more than any other pollinator.  I have to cut this 5 foot jungle down twice a summer, it is wonderful for the compost pile, full of nutrients for the soil!!!!

When we first moved into our home about 17 years ago, comfrey had overtaken many parts of an area.  I over the year had done much cleanup with the comfrey that had overtaken, and I am not exagerating.  I used roundup as it was so deeply invaded.  I left a small clump that I have always controlled by digging out roots.  NOw the comfrey can grow wild in the spots where I throw the root cuts and it does, it can grow to its hearth content.

I know that comfrey tea, once upon a time, was used for a soothing nerve drink (and many other uses), but it contains alkoids that can be harmful to the liver, if taken in large amounts, so it is now recommended for external uses only.  It can be used for bruising, broken bone pain relief, and many other things.  Google comfrey, it is an amazing plant.

The borage that I grow everywhere that the bees love to high heavens is a cousin to comfrey.  They both share the droooping blue blossoms that rain does not bother.  The bees climb inside to sip the masses of nectar.  Borage blooms all summer, self-seeding along as it goes, it ends with frost kill.  Borage self-seeds so invasively that it comes up everywhere, once you have this plant, it is yours until the end of time itself, through this self-propogation.  My property is a mass of seeds of many of these high nectar/high pollen plants that I sowed last year, I think that the birds carry them too, and the ants.  They are germinating and growing like wildfire, along with the seeds that I have sowed this year.  Next year, I don't think that I will have to sow any seed, it is all done for me now by nature itself.  Yeah!!!!!  They can grow in the back 3 acres anywhere that they choose to, it is their choice now, not mine.  Have a wonderful day, great life, and beautiful health wishes to all.  Cindi

[newbee07]

pennie works with amonia or first bite.

[sandhya]

hmmm, not alot of copper in pennies nowadays...the old pennies yea...maybe its a metal reaction thing that counteracts the itch...good science question. Of course most wives tales are rooted in some truth.

[SteveSC]

Since plantain works better than I can imagine anything working, I don't bother with anything else...

I have nephew that has a degree in horticulture - he interested in bees also.  He just told me that same thing - I had no idea.  He says it'll work on bees stings. One of his Professors is a Master Beekeeper and told him about the plantain.   Recently, I seem to have had alot of opportunities to find out.

[Bee1]

I haven't been out Identifying plants in a while so I googled a few of the plants mentioned here.   I breifly was under the missunderstanding that commom mullein (prolific in my yard) was plantain...  oopps!  the links below are pictures and herbalists comments. 

thanks, Bee1

http://www.redmoonherbs.com/articles/plantain.php

http://www.learningherbs.com/bee_sting_remedy.html

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/placom43.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfrey

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_mullein.htm 

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mulgre63.html

[Cindi]

Bee1, you took some time to set in some very good sites.  I checked them out, awesome.  The common mullein grows everywhere eh?  Evidently the bees love this plant, personally I have never seen them on it, but then perhaps it is like buckwheat, which is only attractive to bees mornings and late afternoons.  Something to watch for.  Have a wonderful day, great life, great health wishes to all.  Cindi

[Bee1]

Hi Cindi, The mullein does grow great, and I love it because it is so big, however, i don't let every plant grow in my yard - I'm afraid it would take over, we keep just a few.  I haven't seen a bee on it yet either, that will be interesting to watch. 

... but then perhaps it is like buckwheat, which is only attractive to bees mornings and late afternoons. 

And cool about buckwheat, I'll have to watch that too.  We use/have used that as cover crop/soil enhancer in our veg. garden.   

Bee1

[Jerrymac]

Would some one please come over to my house and show me where this stuff is growing? I keep hearing that it is everywhere. I guess I just don't know what I am looking for. Nothing matches the pictures.

[Bee1]

Jerrymac,  I thought maybe you lived outside the plant range, but it just ain't so. 

http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/2000/Ethnobotany/common_plantain.html

Maybe someone who lives closer will take you on a plant identification hike. 

-Bee1

[DayValleyDahlias]

As luck or misfortune would have it...I asked my DH before he mowed the meadow, to leave the comfrey and large plantain...Next morning, I notice before he mowed that my beloved deer had mowed those plants for me!  HAHAHAHA...those deer, my goodness, I am happy they do not like honey ( or do they )?

I enjoyed looking at those site Bee1...

And to the fellow whose eyes got red and such...have your EpiPen ready...911 may not be enough for you next time...hhhhmmm


Peace

[Cindi]

Sharon, I am sure that deer don't like honey.  We have deer around our area too, but since we had the back landscaped and so much underbrush removed, they don't come here anymore.  I don't mind one little bit.  They can be such a nuisance with regard to eating things that they should not, and our place is too big for all the guys around here to pee around to keep them at bay  :evil:  Have a wonderful day, great life, great health.  Cindi