Comment by vitno
10 years ago
I'm... skeptical.
Cannabis doesn't produce nectar, so bees won't be attracted to it. They might be interested in resin, so as to make propolis... but I doubt any cannaboids would turn up in the honey.
Disclaimer: I don't keep bees, but I've been looking into it. Someone with more experience might know more, listen to them. It'd be cool if this worked.
I kept bees for almost a year now. They may go for the pollen and resin like you said, and miss out on the nectar.
Yes you should be skeptical. Even if there were any scintilla of truth to this cannabinoids have no effect on humans until they are decarboxylated so this would have no effect if eaten anyway.
And yet, I guarantee you it will be shrink-wrapped and mythologized by the health industry anyway.
well the article mention "hundreds of health benefits" for honey, which the science, even the pseudo science, agree there is none. it's just a fancier sugar. so yes, you're certainly right.
Bees collect pollen, not nectar.
This was answered a lot already, but I'll go into a little more detail. They eat both.
Pollen = Protein
Nectar/Honey = Carbohydrates
Just like most other living animals they need both to survive.
Honeycomb holding Pollen -- the multicolored cells are pollen, actually something called "bee bread" if you need a keyword to read more about it. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c2/65/36/c26536d91...
This image shows a comb with pollen in the bottom left, uncapped honey/nectar in the central area. This uncapped nectar has too much water in it still and will ferment, and capped honey in the top right section. This capped area is true honey that has been dehydrated enough to not ferment and spoil. http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/honeycomb-fresh-honey-pollen-...
They distribute pollen via mechanical side-effects (on their legs and bodies), but that is not their goal. That effect is the plant's goal, which is why it produces nectar - to lure them.
It's the original Sharing Economy.
Bees absolutely collect pollen, they even have special pollen ball holding cups on their legs. They also collect nectar, in their stomach.
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It's more like the bees are farmers tending their sustenance crop.
They collect both, from here[0]:
"First bees have four main items on the collection list: nectar, pollen, saps / waxes, and water"
[0] - https://www.quora.com/Can-honey-bees-collect-nectar-at-the-s...
All bees collect nectar. Some bees collect pollen - although all bees need it.
Bees collect both and eat both.
bees turn nectar into honey