Fungal spores in honey

[oxnatbees]

I was thinking about Paul Stamet's claims on beneficial fungi for bees. He has a website www.fungi.com where he has a commercial interest in promoting this idea.

I'm prepared to entertain the idea that bees might occasionally forage for spores for
(a) self medicating or
(b) protein during pollen dearths
but I don't recall them being mentioned when I did a pollen-in-honey microscopy course. They would surely show up in honey.

I was wondering if anyone had ever seen fungal spores in honey. If the answer is no, Stamet's claims lose credibility. I'm only aware of AFB and botulism spores being found in honey.
*

 

[beeno]

As far as I am aware you don't get fungii spores in honey, but you get hyphae in honeydew which is not quite the same thing.

 

[Speybee]

I was thinking about Paul Stamet's claims on beneficial fungi for bees. He has a website www.fungi.com where he has a commercial interest in promoting this idea.

I'm prepared to entertain the idea that bees might occasionally forage for spores for
(a) self medicating or
(b) protein during pollen dearths
but I don't recall them being mentioned when I did a pollen-in-honey microscopy course. They would surely show up in honey.

I was wondering if anyone had ever seen fungal spores in honey. If the answer is no, Stamet's claims lose credibility. I'm only aware of AFB and botulism spores being found in honey.
*

Botulism is the one of interest, should it be found in food for human consumption.
Is this why honey not recommended for infants under 1 year of age?

 

[Swarm]

Yes.