soybean honey

[jmgi]

I am placing a bee yard in the middle of hundreds of acres of soybeans, what is the color of the honey and what kind of honey would you compare the taste to? John

[jim lyon]

My understanding from those who have raised it is that it is quite light and mild. I have had bees around soybeans for years and my experience is that it is odorless, tasteless and virtually impossible to detect....if you know what I mean. I hope you raise some but I wouldn't get my hopes too high if I were you.

[jmgi]

jim, are you saying that soybeans don't produce much honey? Maybe I don't know what you mean.

[hpm08161947]

He is saying you are not likely to get much honey off of soy beans. Same experience here..... not saying it can't happen, but at least around here it does not seem to happen very often.

[lupester]

I think it has to do with how much water the beans have to produce nectar. I put hives on "bottom beans" in MS. The farmers just flood the fields if they don't get rain. They rotate between rice and soybeans. Our bees build up and put on the honey like crazy. Its by far the sweetest honey I get. Some people ask only for our MS honey.

[mrqb]

sweet very sweet,very light color a totally different kinda floral taste,but actually i have no way of knowing what else is going in hive at same time,there's usually sunflowers or something producing at same time as soybeans

[snl]

I've placed hives in soyfields (non-irrigated) for years...........and have yet to see a drop of honey from them....If they've gathered any they were rather stingy and kept it to themselves..........

[hpm08161947]

Just curious. In the areas that see a soy bean honey flow - what time of the year does the flow generally start?

[khaas15]

The November 2011 issue of Bee Culture had a very good article on soybean honey. I would suggest reading it. Basically, nectar flow from soybeans is not a given and depends a lot on temperature, type of soybean, ...

I would also be concerned with pesticides being applied to the fields where my bees are working. I put a hive on some farmland last year and by fall, lost the hive. Long story but some crop dusting was done in the area and I think it contributed to their downfall.

[summer1052]

I would not put beans there without some serious research. Any type of soybean hybrid created in the last 10 years is very likely to be self pollinating, and with low nectar yields.

The big deal now is Round Up Ready Soybeans -- soybeans that can tolerate having their field sprayed with Round Up, to kill other weeds. Round Up is not good for bees. If the field is sprayed with Round Up when bloom is on, the bees may collect nectar and or pollen that includes Round Up.

It's a tricky thing these days to put a hive on crops that you are not doing yourself.

Good Luck!
Summer

[Live Oak]

I am placing a bee yard in the middle of hundreds of acres of soybeans, what is the color of the honey and what kind of honey would you compare the taste to? John

I would caution you to be very careful and watchful of your hives if you decide to do this. Perhaps not place all of your hives in the soy beans. Most soy beans are treated with clothianidin which is EXTREMELY toxic to honey bees. The information and arguements on this topic are on going but something you should be aware of. Do what you think best.

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

http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2010...eed-treatments

[hpm08161947]

I would caution you to be very careful and watchful of your hives if you decide to do this. Perhaps not place all of your hives in the soy beans.

Just curious.... have you seen a lot of bee death around soybeans? I know I have not.

[jim lyon]

Just curious.... have you seen a lot of bee death around soybeans? I know I have not.

Nor have I Herb. I cant prove or disprove that seeds treated with Clothianidin harm bees I can only say that our bees have only gotten better in recent years as the use of these treatments has flourished. For those who feel that there is much of a difference in "placing" or "not placing" bees on soybeans I offer up this little mathematical reminder: Given the fact that bees will forage up to 3 miles from the hive (there have been proven instances where they have gone 4 miles) that would constitute a total foraging area of over 28 square miles.

[Live Oak]

Just curious.... have you seen a lot of bee death around soybeans? I know I have not.

No. Nothing I can point to as conclusive proof.