Ragwort

[Stevie Day]

During todays inspection of the main hive. I noticed about 10 ragwort plants flowering on a patch of rough ground on the land which house my hives.

I didn't notice them last week, so hopefully only recently flowered. So after I had finished inspecting I pulled them up. Washed hands after of course.

As we know ragwort is poisonous. I assume not good for honey production.

What are peoples experiences of bees taking nectar for honey production with these plants?

How do you know if the honey has been tainted by nectar from ragwort? & what are the implications for the honey?

 

[Greggorio]

I've read it makes the honey toxic but you need masses of it so I strongly doubt its a problem. Also wear gloves when you pull it as you can absorb it through your skin.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

 

[ellypatt]

Never noticed the honey to be tainted but have noticed a very yellow wax when there is a lot of ragwort about, particularly during this recent dry spell.

 

[Stevie Day]

Never noticed the honey to be tainted but have noticed a very yellow wax when there is a lot of ragwort about, particularly during this recent dry spell.

Yes I've notice a lot in the grass verges this year. The council doesn't appear to be controlling it like they used to. I suppose another symptom of cut backs.

Obviously I can control it on the land were the hives are on. But I can't control where they go to forage.

Are the bees keen on taking nectar from its flowers?

 

[MuswellMetro]

it is said not to be toxic in Honey but it does produces a honey that smells of urine, making the house smell like an old peoples home

but if you can keep it for 6 months then the smell abates

one year i had so much in the last supers that I was blaming Cat for doing a whoopsy until noticed the yellow frames

 

[rook66]

http://tna.europarchive.org/2013081...skassessment/t01programme/t01projlist/t01037/

The bees try to avoid it too.

 

[BeeJayBee]

So after I had finished inspecting I pulled them up. Washed hands after of course.

As we know ragwort is poisonous.

Ragwort, in sufficient amounts, is poisonous to horses and cattle. It isn't poisonous to humans although washing your hands after gardening or pulling up weeds is always a good idea.

The Ragwort Control Act "imposes a duty of responsibility on landowners to effectively control Senecio jacobaea, preventing its spread onto grazing land". https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=299

 

[Tremyfro]

I can see the yellow in my hives by the pond. We have a field next door which is absolutely covered with Ragwort. We pull any we see on our land. It was one of the first things I checked on when I got my bees. I wish the man next door would get it sorted....last year he waited until it has stopped flowering and then cut it...left to lay on the field. His horses were back in there within a fortnight.
I was glad to see that ragwort doesn't affect the honey...apart from the smell...although I didn't notice that myself.

 

[Swarm]

The Ragwort Control Act "imposes a duty of responsibility on landowners to effectively control Senecio jacobaea, preventing its spread onto grazing land". https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=299

Probably unenforceable considering the lack of action by local authorities. Swathes of it growing practically everywhere and getting worse every year, I can't see a landowner being charged.

 

[manek]

More on ragwort: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobaea_vulgaris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Probably unenforceable considering the lack of action by local authorities. Swathes of it growing practically everywhere and getting worse every year, I can't see a landowner being charged.

grandfather used to rant about it all of the time - all the landowner's around us were fastidious about its control (the funny thing is it was after more land was put over to horse ownership that things began to slip!) but the county council whose job it was to enforce the regulations used to leave it go berserk on all their land.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I can see the yellow in my hives by the pond. We have a field next door which is absolutely covered with Ragwort. We pull any we see on our land. It was one of the first things I checked on when I got my bees. I wish the man next door would get it sorted....last year he waited until it has stopped flowering and then cut it...left to lay on the field. His horses were back in there within a fortnight.
I was glad to see that ragwort doesn't affect the honey...apart from the smell...although I didn't notice that myself.

Ragwort is a real problem to RESPONSIBLE horse owners. Sadly there are a lot of folks who don't appreciate the problem it causes. Generally horses will not eat it while it's green but if it's present in pasture which is overgrazed so alternative greenery is depleted they have no choice. If it's present in meadow grass mown for hay it dries out after mowing, loses it's bitter taste and gets consumed. The toxins don't reduce despite the taste doing so and liver failure is the result. An unpleasant death for the animal.
Older country folk recognised it for what it is and would pull it up while out walking. The modern trend of having no idea where food comes from has produced a generation who drive by and ignore the threat.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The modern trend of having no idea where food comes from has produced a generation who drive by and ignore the threat.

And the vast majority of them were born back in the 1950's.

 

[MikeT]

Ragwort is one of the weeds listed in the Weed Act of 1959 and has now been replaced by :-



Ragwort Control Act 2003


This Act of Parliament exists to create a code for managing ragwort. It amends the Weeds Act 1959 . There is a great deal of misinformation on the internet about this Act. The practical implications for an individual are of little consequence, unless they are prosecuted for failing conform to a ministerial order made under that act. It DOES NOT place any legal obligation on anyone to control ragwort.

While I worked for MAFF for 26 yrs I never heard of anyone been prosecuted
for not controlling Ragwort.

I have a field next to mine which is now a sea of yellow and the landowner will not do a thing to stop the plants from seeding. Hense I will have more spraying and pulling of ragwort next year.

Mike

 

[Thymallus]

The modern trend of having no idea where food comes from has produced a generation who drive by and ignore the threat.

Its refreshing to see the number of young, middle aged and elder people who now shop at farmers markets buying their produce directly from the producers. Many are quite knowledgeable about what they want from their food. Sadly there are still not enough of them.
Today I swapped a couple of jars of my honey mustard for some real bacon, about 1/2inch of meat to 2 inches of fat......breakfast tomorrow....coronary on Tuesday

 

[Stevie Day]

http://tna.europarchive.org/2013081...skassessment/t01programme/t01projlist/t01037/

The bees try to avoid it too.

Thanks, a very interesting report. Certainly allays my concern about the bees collecting nectar from ragwort, though obviously not desirable.

I didn't realise borage also has PAs (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) in the plant.

 

[Millet]

I breed Goldfinches and Ragwort does them the world of good every season when they are going through the moult.. only when its going into seed though.. i pick it every year bare handed and it's not poisoned me yet..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

i pick it every year bare handed and it's not poisoned me yet..

it has an accumulative effect - maybe next year?

 

[MikeT]

This is the field over the road from our cattle field. I have managed the ragwort over the past year by spraying in the Autumn and Spring and pulling any which have regrown.

The Hereford cattle in this field are at risk as there is no grass and the aniumals may be forced to eat the ragwort.

Mike

 

[Tremyfro]

This is the field over the road from our cattle field. I have managed the ragwort over the past year by spraying in the Autumn and Spring and pulling any which have regrown.

The Hereford cattle in this field are at risk as there is no grass and the aniumals may be forced to eat the ragwort.

Mike

Perhaps you could sneak in at night and spray his ragwort!