have you noticed honeydew on tree leaves

[MartinL]

Does nobody realise that this stuff is NOT, honeydew?

Honeydew quickly turns to black mould, whereas this stuff is more resinous and attracts dust over the outside of the leaves.

There would need to be million upon million of sap sucking creatures all over the plant to produce the quantities we are seeing in this heat! + trees do not support these quantities.

 

[Beefriendly]

Does nobody realise that this stuff is NOT, honeydew?

Honeydew quickly turns to black mould, whereas this stuff is more resinous and attracts dust over the outside of the leaves.

There would need to be million upon million of sap sucking creatures all over the plant to produce the quantities we are seeing in this heat! + trees do not support these quantities.

When it comes to trees there are million upon million of sap sucking creatures.
A mature tree can have 200,000 plus leaves with 100's of aphids per leaf.

Picture below shows aphids on a single leaf....I counted 80 before I gave up. Making it at least 16 million on a mature tree......and that is not a full leaf.
Identity of leaf is interesting

 

[Finman]

Does nobody realise that this stuff is NOT, honeydew?

Honeydew quickly turns to black mould, whereas this stuff is more resinous and attracts dust over the outside of the leaves.

There would need to be million upon million of sap sucking creatures all over the plant to produce the quantities we are seeing in this heat! + trees do not support these quantities.

We call it aphid piss.

What you can do? Close hives?

Honey dew has special mould, from where forest honey can be indentified.

I agree that in city centres honeydew has special additives .

.

 

[philipm]

I know if I shake one of the branches on our trees there is a large cloud of aphids.So think there enough to produce honeydew.

 

[Beefriendly]

I know if I shake one of the branches on our trees there is a large cloud of aphids.So think there enough to produce honeydew.

Spot on, honey dew is produced every year by aphids on many trees. It's the prevailing circumstances of each year that determine if the bees will utilise this source of "nectar". This may possibly become one of them, as the flower nectar sources are drying up or appearing early. I think what I'm trying to say is it usually isn't a preferred "nectar" source if easier sources are available..but it, as always, depends on your local conditions.

 

[Finman]

I think what I'm trying to say is it usually isn't a preferred "nectar" source if easier sources are available..but it, as always, depends on your local conditions.

Bees like to use it as nectar, but it needs long dry period that it accumulates on leaves as a good food source.

One good rainfall can wash the leaves and heavy rainfall may kill the aphids too.

When you keep your car under certain trees, you see how much tree rains sugar onto windscreen.

You could imagine, how many litres you need sugar water to paint all tree leaves glossy or dirty.
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[Beecat]

I have to wonder if any of this "gourmet" honey would sell if people knew where it comes from. Selling it as wholesome food when it's really bug shyte that has been eaten by another bug and then vomited out is hardly honest. Even that kind of understates the case.

 

[Finman]

I have to wonder if any of this "gourmet" honey would sell if people knew where it comes from. Selling it as wholesome food when it's really bug shyte that has been eaten by another bug and then vomited out is hardly honest. Even that kind of understates the case.

You write shyte. Does it make the thing better?

Start with reading wikipedia.

I did not expect this kind of poetry campaign against honey.

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[Beecat]

You write shyte. Does it make the thing better?

Start with reading wikipedia.

I did not expect this kind of poetry campaign against honey.

.

I'm not much against honey, I love the stuff. I'm just raising an ethical question. Now if something goes in the front end of a bug and comes out the back end, what would you call it? I'm specifically talking about honeydew here.

 

[Ian123]

There’s quite a bit out there about honeydew and in many countries it’s well sought after. Honey is bee spit, aphid crap honey it’s all already out there just google it. Tastes good though nothing ethical about it

 

[Finman]

Now if something goes in the front end of a bug and comes out the back end.

End product

Aphid eates the sugar juice of the plant's phloem vessels. First of all it picks protein from juice, that it can grow and reproduce. It secretes extra sugar solution off...

That is called life.

Japanese put cooked rise and fish into a dish. IT stays fermenting a month. IT is called sushi.
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[Popparand]

Coffee beans excreted by wild Sri Lankan civet cats have always sold for over $500 a kilo, and now you can buy Thai coffee beans picked out of elephant crap for just $2000 a kilo.

Personally, I prefer coffee that hasn't already passed through another digestive system, but there's no accounting for tastes.

Maybe there's a market for honey bee sh*t.

 

[Ian123]

There’s already a market for bee spit.....

 

[Finman]

Maybe there's a market for honey bee sh*t.

Difficult to hit that comment

.

 

[philipm]

As Forrest Gump in the film said "**** happens"