What flowers should I stay away from?

[bernsad]

One long-time beek I know says to stay away from Cotoneaster, he reckons the honey tastes lousy. What other flowers would you try and avoid your bees getting into?

[Wonga]

 I haven't heard about cotoneaster, I don't know how you can keep your bees away from it in an urban or semi-urban or even rural environment, given their foraging habits.

However, we did cut out a cotoneaster from our yard , because they are a noxious weed, and birds spread them into the bush by eating the berries . . . .like darned privet (large or small), it actually is good bee foraging, but still a noxious weed in Australia, so if you can, get rid of them.

[Joe D]

Wonga thats the same over here.  Privet hedge and several other weeds that I used to bush hog trying to get reed of, now that I have bees I let grow.  I have acres of the stuff, makes good honey.




Joe

[David McLeod]

Yep, I have a love/hate relationship with privet. Having tried, unsuccessfully, to rid several cow pastures and yards of the stuff I can tell you that it is one of those almost impossible to kill plants, Yet on the other hand it is probably the one never fail every year like clockwork honey plants in the southeast.

[OzBuzz]

Bernsad, it depends on what your priorities are - are you talking about honey taste? yield? nutrition value to the bees?

[bernsad]

I was concerned primarily with taste, Oz. I'm just a hobbyist at the moment so I like to leave enough in the hive for the girls to live and I only take off a what's left for a small distribution, hence it's got to taste good.

[OzBuzz]

Then, from my knowledge, there's nothing really you need to be worried about... from what I've heard canola honey isn't that great taste wise but I don't think there's anything out there that's really going to kill the taste completely

[bernsad]

That's good to know, thanks.

[OzBuzz]

If you know of any good patches of Patersons Curse let me know hahah

[rawfind]

One long-time beek I know says to stay away from Cotoneaster, he reckons the honey tastes lousy. What other flowers would you try and avoid your bees getting into?

Here,s one definitely worth mentioning   Galenia pubescens    Ill paste a link to the article, it makes your honey bitter.


Brimbank leader

[bernsad]

Thanks for the article rawfind, I hadn't heard of Galenia before. Have you had a problem with it? I'll have to see if I can find a better photo for identification.

[rawfind]

Thanks for the article rawfind, I hadn't heard of Galenia before. Have you had a problem with it? I'll have to see if I can find a better photo for identification.

No i havnt had any problem with it thank God! but i saw that article last year and the posts jogged my memory to the article, heres a
link to help you identify it

How To Identify  Galenia

[bernsad]

I reckon I've seen that stuff before. Thanks for the ID link.

[rawfind]

I reckon I've seen that stuff before. Thanks for the ID link.

No problem, i for one will be keeping my eyes open on my land, im even paranoid when i see a weed pop up i havnt seen before, im sure its not the only bitter weed.