Laurel toxicity?

[goodbobby]

When I did my Beek courses a few years back our instructor told us if we wanted to make a humane "killing jar" we could use an old honey jar filled with Laurel as it has high cyanide levels. Subsequently, I looked up on the internet using shredded laurel cuttings as a gardening mulch (I have a lot of large laurel bushes/trees in the garden).There were quite a few warnings about care in handling such garden waste.

Over the last couple of days I have notice copious amounts of bumble and honey bees on flowering Laurel near the house and I wonder whether the honey the honeybees produce is affected in any way? I recall that some honey can be tainted by the bees type of forage....no I am not thinking of a new brand of honey to bump off her indoors!

My bees are a couple of miles away in an out apiary, but I have a neighbour about 300 yards away who is a beek and I am just curious?

 

[MuswellMetro]

Are they Bay Laurels or Cherry Laurels

Rhododendrum Honey can be toxic but no idea if laurel honey

 

[MJBee]

I have as large bay laurel tree and 20m of cherry laurel hedge both are very popular when in flower. No problems with the bees or humans but nothing grows under either where the leaves have fallen

 

[garethavenell]

In the Collins Beekeeper's Bible it lists the types of poisonous honey as: Mountain Laurel AKA Lambkill (Kalmia latifolia), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio species), Rhododendron (Rhodondendron ponticum and other species), and Spurge (Euphorbia species).

Brings into question the number of cases of honey poisoning each year!

 

[goodbobby]

laurel toxicity

Are they Bay Laurels or Cherry Laurels

Rhododendrum Honey can be toxic but no idea if laurel honey

They are Cherry (or Common) Laurel Hedging (Prunus laurocerasus rotundifolia)

 

[enrico]

My bees are on ALL of those plants.... Bye bye!!!

 

[goodbobby]

laurel toxicity

In the Collins Beekeeper's Bible it lists the types of poisonous honey as: Mountain Laurel AKA Lambkill (Kalmia latifolia), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio species), Rhododendron (Rhodondendron ponticum and other species), and Spurge (Euphorbia species).

Brings into question the number of cases of honey poisoning each year!

I always understood that every part of a Laburnum was highly toxic.... flowers seed pods, bark but bees apparently bees love the flowers. A'int nature strange!

 

[The Cumbrian]

When I did my Beek courses a few years back our instructor told us if we wanted to make a humane "killing jar" we could use an old honey jar filled with Laurel as it has high cyanide levels.

Many many moons ago when I was a boy we used to make "killing bottles" for collecting butterflies and moths.

As I remember it the Laurel had no effect unless crushed/shredded. As a result I would expect the poison to be in the leaves and probably not in the nectar. As the release seemed to only take place when the leaves were damaged.

 

[tonybloke]

I always understood that every part of a Laburnum was highly toxic.... flowers seed pods, bark but bees apparently bees love the flowers. A'int nature strange!

yes, nature is strange, as is your use of the apostrophe!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ahhhh "Mad Honey Disease" from eating Madness Honey.

"Oh, they ate and drank & bragged no end
about what they were gonna do.
while they scarfed up Rhododendron Honey
and Amanita Stew."

 

[MuswellMetro]

They are Cherry (or Common) Laurel Hedging (Prunus laurocerasus rotundifolia)

well the plant and fruit are toxic

http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/prunus_laurocerasus.htm

 

[user 3204]

Not just nectar?

In addition to the above the OP has raised an issue worthy of further research as it re-kindles a lot of concern both as gardeners and as keepers of Bees.

As with others we have a significant amount of Cherry Laurel about and when in flower it has a wonderful scent and has a positive hum of insects partaking of it's nectar and using its many broad leaves as landing pads in the Sun.

The Bees love visiting the flowers but we've also noticed that, out of this flowering period and also during a dearth of nectar in general, many bees also visit a point on the leaf just before it meets the stalk (not just one Bee either). They appear to be eagerly mopping up a secretion at that point so they like to get at this too!

What it is I do not know and shall have to find a botanist for a description and possible toxicity.

AFAIC not many (non carnivorous) plants would attract their own pollinators only to kill them in the process by providing toxic nectar!

Also given the exploitation of early honey by the Bees themselves, the later processes that it goes through for us and the amounts present within total volumes involved probably won't cause harm.

We've not seen loads of dead Bees following the Laurel flowering period either!

but......so as not to have my head in the sand for too long I wonder if there is further more detailed information on this interesting to be had anywhere?

 

[Cazza]

[QUOTE=Fronddeunant;225478The Bees love visiting the flowers but we've also noticed that, out of this flowering period and also during a dearth of nectar in general, many bees also visit a point on the leaf just before it meets the stalk (not just one Bee either). They appear to be eagerly mopping up a secretion at that point so they like to get at this too!

What it is I do not know"

They are extra floral nectaries- nectaries in the leaf rather than the flower.
Cazza

 

[goodbobby]

laburnum toxicity

yes, nature is strange, as is your use of the apostrophe!

Tonybloke, if you have descended to critiquing apostrophe insertion typos you really need to sit down and rethink how you are using your spare time...However, I have just noticed that you have made nearly 2300 posts in 3 years so I guess you have a lot of spare time!

 

[tonybloke]

Tonybloke, if you have descended to critiquing apostrophe insertion typos you really need to sit down and rethink how you are using your spare time...However, I have just noticed that you have made nearly 2300 posts in 3 years so I guess you have a lot of spare time!

can you enlighten me more on the concept of 'spare time' ? I thought my time on the planet was finite.

 

[PaleoPerson]

I also used to use crushed laurel leaves in killing jars and as relaxing jars as well.

However, I agree with Fronddeunant in that:
"Why would a plant produce a flower with toxic pollen/nectar?"
The defence mechanism is for the overall survival of the plant, whereas the flowers are the means for sustainability. So, unless there is a very specialised symbiotic relation with a pollenating agent (insect, mammal or other), then sabotaging the flowers would make the laurel a very scarce plant indeed.

 

[The Cumbrian]

"Why would a plant produce a flower with toxic pollen/nectar?"

According to my reading it isn't quite as simple as that. Some/much of the nectar comes from glands in (I believe the leaf axil) and so it isn't just a case of producing a toxic flower. I could imagine ( and please note this is just my thoughts no proof for it) that that "toxic nectar" might be to lure say ants and then get rid of them.

Having said that I have since this thread started read many pages on the web and none have mentioned the nectar/honey as toxic. The Royal Horticultural Society even has it (Prunus laurocerasus ) as a plant for attracting bees.

More reading needed I think.

 

[BeeJayBee]

We share a neighbour's huge Laurel hedge. Bees pollinate the flowers, blackbirds eat the fruit, apparently without any problems. The same as they manage to eat Yew berries. They also nest in it.

Not much grows beneath it, except Ivy and Ash seedlings, and the only thing that seems to eat the leaves are weevils.

We know from experience not to prune the hedge and put the bits straight into the car without leaving the window open, because it does make you drowsy. Leaving it to wilt for a day or so seems to be long enough for the gases to go.

 

[Erichalfbee]

We know from experience not to prune the hedge and put the bits straight into the car without leaving the window open, because it does make you drowsy.

Really?
Might try that then

 

[Luminos]

Really?
Might try that then

Perfect for insomniacs