Subject: bees on toxic plants?

From: [email-masked] (David 'Igor' Latter)
Date: 5 Oct 1994 09:47:11 +1000

I was recently asked about the effect on the honey if bees are able to get
at toxic plants. Plants, that any part of are very dangerous to humans, must
flower and produce nectar/pollen. Can anyone comment if this could be a
problem to look out for? Is it possible to get "toxic" honey from some of
the more nasty type of plants....?
Can bees be killed by toxic pollen.... or do they have more sense than us
humans and avoid the toxic stuff?

Comments anyone?

                    David

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From: [email-masked] (B.J.H. Beattie)
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 14:49:19 GMT

David

It seems logical that the process by which the plant reproduces would not
have any toxic effects as that would be self-defeating. The plants want to
attract insects for pollination and they wouldn't want to poison them so
I'd guess that the honey would not be toxic..

On the other hand, I suppose they wouldn't want bees to eat the precious 
pollen so .. maybe.. the pollen may be toxic.

I've never heard of toxic plants being a problem, and can't find anything
in my books....They only talk about poisoning of bees from crop spraying.

Just comments.
Bridget

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From: [email-masked] (Mark Alexander)
Date: 14 Oct 1994 07:52:53 GMT

B.J.H. Beattie ([email-masked]) wrote:

: It seems logical that the process by which the plant reproduces would not
: have any toxic effects as that would be self-defeating. The plants want to
: attract insects for pollination and they wouldn't want to poison them so
: I'd guess that the honey would not be toxic..

: On the other hand, I suppose they wouldn't want bees to eat the precious 
: pollen so .. maybe.. the pollen may be toxic.

: I've never heard of toxic plants being a problem, and can't find anything
: in my books....They only talk about poisoning of bees from crop spraying.

: Just comments.
: Bridget

I've has it said to me that honey produced when the bees are foaging 
on rhododendron plants is toxic to humans. That is its okay, no effect to
the bees but not so good for us. I don't know who true this is but it 
concerns me as a university nursery near my hive (approx 2 kilometres)
breeds rhododendrons.

any further comments?
Mark A. Alexander