Blue Comb\Honey

[betrbekepn]

I was talking to a old timer, 77, that grew up, Arkansas, messing with bees. He told me he had probably cut down and robbed 50 bee trees before he was even 18. He said if you find bees in a Ash Tree that the comb and honey is blue. Just curious if anybody has seen or heard of this before?

[Jack21222]

I was talking to a old timer, 77, that grew up, Arkansas, messing with bees. He told me he had probably cut down and robbed 50 bee trees before he was even 18. He said if you find bees in a Ash Tree that the comb and honey is blue. Just curious if anybody has seen or heard of this before?

I've heard of blue-ish honey before, but I usually hear of it in certian parts of North Carolina. The comb probably just *looks* blue due to the pollen and honey in the combs.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>Just curious if anybody has seen or heard of this before?

Sure, that's bunny honey. Blue Bunny honey.

[Ann]

Smurf Food!

[Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary]

'round here we get a lot of wisteria and when the bees make honey from that it's purple. Never had it before, but I want to try to stick a hive right in the middle of forest covered with wisteria and see what happens. I've heard of other plants doing the same thing. Honey will tint the wax from pure white to a golden color, so if the honey is purple than it will probably tint the wax purple (or blue).

-Nathanael

[sc-bee]

I understand Kudzu honey is purple???

[Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary]

I understand Kudzu honey is purple???

That's the other one, Kudzu! I knew Robbie had mentioned another plant beside wisteria to me the other day! Thanks sc-bee!

-Nathanael

[betrbekepn]

The old timer I've been talking to is very knowledgeable about bees. He has never read a book on bees, all his knowledge comes from old timers when he was a young boy. He started messing with bees when he was 8. He has never used foundation (natural cell) and has messed with bees all his whole life until varroa mites killed all his bees. His excuse for all his bees dying is he let a good friend requeen his hives (probably with Italians) and treat chemically for mites. He had ferals in them before. I believe him when he says the comb and honey was blue do to being in a Ash Tree. I agree it might of been blue do to the nectar\ pollen source but the guy knows his bees and he believes the Ash Tree turned the comb\ honey blue. Any thoughts why the comb\ honey would turn blue do to being in a Ash Tree. Another question, If I were to plant Ash Trees specifically for raising blue combed honey, is their cultivation techniques to make bee tree cavities in the tree. Is a bee tree cavity a death sentence for the tree?

[Ann]

I understand Kudzu honey is purple???

That's Smurf Food.

[iddee]

Here in NC the blue honey is attributed to soy beans. It is also said to only come from soy beans in certain types of soil. Whatever the nutrients are that cause it may be something that ash trees absorb and retain.

All the above is here say, no documented proof on any of it.

[Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary]

The old timer I've been talking to is very knowledgeable about bees. He has never read a book on bees, all his knowledge comes from old timers when he was a young boy. He started messing with bees when he was 8. He has never used foundation (natural cell) and has messed with bees all his whole life until varroa mites killed all his bees. His excuse for all his bees dying is he let a good friend requeen his hives (probably with Italians) and treat chemically for mites. He had ferals in them before. I believe him when he says the comb and honey was blue do to being in a Ash Tree. I agree it might of been blue do to the nectar\ pollen source but the guy knows his bees and he believes the Ash Tree turned the comb\ honey blue.

He's probably right. Don't get me wrong betrbekepn, I'm not doubting what your beek friend said, I'm just pointing out that other plants also have a similar color changing affect to the comb and honey. Logically, to my mind, the honey being blue would be from the nectar it came from and then the honey tints the comb. I'm not sure how the tree itself could make the comb blue. It would have to seep through the wax and into all the honey. Maybe the ash tree produces blue nectar, or is its sap a bluish color? Of course I haven't been keeping bees for very long, so I'm no authority on the subject... yet.

-Nathanael

[rand chandler]

My buddy said he thinks he read in ABC and XYZ that blue honey made in eastern NC was from the eastern sourwood tree and it may have had something to do with aluminum in the soil?

[sc-bee]

>That's Smurf Food

Sounds like you been to FB's???

[Ann]

>That's Smurf Food

Sounds like you been to FB's???

Ayup! Wonderful visit

[kc in wv]

>>>>That's the other one, Kudzu!

Who could forget Kudzu?? If any thing sits still for longer than 10 minutes Kudzu will cover it up.

I just hope it never makes it to our area of the mountains.

[WVbeekeeper]

fireweed and siberian squill have blue pollen. here is a site that has the color of pollen for different plants;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

[betrbekepn]

I asked my friend for more info regarding the blue comb \ honey in the Arkansas Ash Trees today. He said only the comb was blue, not the honey. Any thoughts?

[Bizzybee]

Interesting that it would only occur in the ash tree! Given that's true it would eliminate the honey or pollen being the cause. Would lead you to believe it would have to have something with the environment inside the tree. Possibly the sap or some specific mold possibly that resides around the ash that may stain the comb?
Somebody may know? But still something interesting to ponder.......

Hey SC! Long time no see bud! Hope all is going well for you over there in Gods country! Come an see us sometime!

[UtahBeekeeper]

Check your messages . . . I just tossed some "flowers" your way. Very nice photos on your web pages! JP

[Oldbee]

There is a tree called Blue Ash, [Fraxinus quadrangulata] that grows in Ont., s. WI. WV., AL., AR., and ne. OK. ; Petrides. It says the inner bark yields a blue dye!