Buttercup honey?

[AndyTh]

Anyone getting a dark honey with ranunculus Pollen?

 

[foghornleghorn]

Lesser celandine I would think is more likely than buttercups

 

[Jambo]

Lesser Celandine flowers much earlier in the year, no?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees are not keen on buttercups unless there is absolutely nothing else as the pollen is toxic. It causes "May Madness"

 

[MuswellMetro]

you often find any buttercup pollen collected sealed behind wax so nurse bees dont use it

dark honey this time of year is more likely honeydew from pine or oak tree aphids or could be ragwort if lots of yellow staining on frames

 

[colinc]

What does honeydew honey taste like? Just extracted 3 supers as running low on empties and got very dark runny honey that tastes of chestnuts????


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[Millet]

What does honeydew honey taste like? Just extracted 3 supers as running low on empties and got very dark runny honey that tastes of chestnuts????


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That may depend on what tree the aphids are feeding on.
Sycamore gets covered in aphids near my hives and if the wind is blowing the wrong way the wind screen of my car gets covered in the sticky residue the aphid poop out.

 

[masterBK]

Honeydew also produced by Scale insects which are also Hemipterans but look very different to Aphids.

 

[AndyTh]

That's interesting because near neighbour-beekepers 2-3 miles from me are also getting the same. Chestnuts? Taste of chestnuts is close to what we thought, possibly described as "caramel-y". ITLD referred to non-yield of blackberry, clover and lime this June and "a bit of honeydew". But from which Plant (one hive gave 30lbs of it)?

 

[Millet]

Honeydew also produced by Scale insects which are also Hemipterans but look very different to Aphids.

I know.. but it is aphids in this neck of the woods.

 

[Hivemaker.]

That's interesting because near neighbour-beekepers 2-3 miles from me are also getting the same. Chestnuts?

Perhaps it is Chestnut there, mega honey flow here at the moment for the last week... from Chestnut... thousands of them here and they are flowering about three weeks earlier than last year

 

[AndyTh]

After more reflection, and recalling bees working in large numbers in oak trees beside a flowering linseed crop, could oak be the source of the dark "chestnutty" or "caramel-y" tasting honey taken off in early to mid July? Also same honey as other neighbouring beeks, and a couple on here e.g. colinc also from Worcestershire?

 

[masterBK]

Honeydew honey often has a malty taste to it

 

[Finman]

.
You can see honey dew trees. They are like sprayed with sugar water. Then you see masses of aphids under the leaves.

You hardly can guess the origin from taste.

Poplars are for example good honey dew trees.

Drive your car under the tree and you see how much you get stuff onto the car. You see the dew on asfphal asphalt too.

And most of plants will be secret from where bees get it.


Honey dew develops in hot weather when rains do not wash leaves.

Darckest dew comes from conifers.
.

 

[Finman]

Honeydew honey often has a malty taste to it

Honey dew honey does not have flower aroma.

 

[Herbalist]

Bees are not keen on buttercups unless there is absolutely nothing else as the pollen is toxic. It causes "May Madness"

I did a BSc in Medical Herbalism. We were told to stay well clear of the Renunculacae family (which includes Buttercups - and Monkshood which is absolutely lethal). They do indeed contain toxic glycosides. There are other plant families where some members contain toxic alkaloids - mostly the Solanacae (which includes Deadly Nightshade and Belladonna), Borage, Orchid, Convolvulus families. The plants produce these secondary metabolites to repel insect predators.
All parts of the Rhodedendron are quite toxic with the highest concentration in the nectar. These toxins suppress respiration. Honeybees ignore it, but I have seen bumble bees gathering from it. I do not know if they are immune or about to have a very bad day.
The bees are smart enough to - by and large - steer clear of toxic plants, although I understand that a small amount of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids can turn up in some honey's. I doubt that this is in sufficient quantities to be of concern.
A normal liver is a very efficient detox chemical factory unless overwhelmed by something really nasty like Monkshood or Deadly Nightshade.
If any Beek is interested in this subject, the Poison Garden site is well worth a visit.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks very interesting. We have monkshood in the garden and I have seen the odd bumblebee in it. Our rhododendrons are always buzzing.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I did a BSc in Medical Herbalism. We were told to stay well clear of the Renunculacae family (which includes Buttercups - and Monkshood which is absolutely lethal). They do indeed contain toxic glycosides. There are other plant families where some members contain toxic alkaloids - mostly the Solanacae (which includes Deadly Nightshade and Belladonna), Borage, Orchid, Convolvulus families. The plants produce these secondary metabolites to repel insect predators.
All parts of the Rhodedendron are quite toxic with the highest concentration in the nectar. These toxins suppress respiration. Honeybees ignore it, but I have seen bumble bees gathering from it. I do not know if they are immune or about to have a very bad day.
The bees are smart enough to - by and large - steer clear of toxic plants, although I understand that a small amount of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids can turn up in some honey's. I doubt that this is in sufficient quantities to be of concern.
A normal liver is a very efficient detox chemical factory unless overwhelmed by something really nasty like Monkshood or Deadly Nightshade.
If any Beek is interested in this subject, the Poison Garden site is well worth a visit.

Interesting list but I am surprised to see Borage included.

 

[Herbalist]

Thanks very interesting. We have monkshood in the garden and I have seen the odd bumblebee in it. Our rhododendrons are always buzzing.

Do yourself a favour and get rid of the Monkshood. Wear gloves if you do so. A gardener recently died from a casual encounter with this plant. It is so poisonous that its juice was used for poison tipped arrows. The roots are the most dangerous. http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/805/