# Is Oak pollen dangerous to bees?



## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

I sat in a new beekeepers class last night and heard something I had never heard before...some oak trees have pollen that is poison to bees? We live in the middle of an oak wood and have never had a hive live past 2 years, but have much better luck with hives we tend on other properties..wonder if this could be the problem.

Of course I didn't get a chance to talk with the speaker and google has not been any help. Has anyone else heard of this?


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## Energy Rebel (Jan 22, 2011)

Nope, hadn't heard that.
The class my wife and I took said that the mountain laurels around here will produce a bitter honey that's no good. I even saw a few articles on honey from poison oak, but as far as I know, no problems with bees and oaks.

one link......
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-07-05/home-and-garden/17217883_1_honeybees-buckeye-pollinators


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

I live in the woods with lots of oak. Never heard about oak being a problem. Don't believe my bees heard either.


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## ChristopherReed (Jan 21, 2011)

bees dont read the same books as us. Not all harmful plants yield poisonous honey though. Honey from Poison Ivy has no harmful effects for example. honey from oleander or azalea is poisonous, and yes you could die from it. oleander nectar also harms bees and butterflies. Also watch out for yellow jasmine that produces poisonous honey. Several fatal cases were reported at the same time in New York State, caused by wild honey made from the flowers of laurel shrubs. Honey collected by the bees from mountain laurel is often poisonous. Even today the beekeepers in North and South Carolina first try the effect of laurel honey on the family dog. If the dog, after indulging in suspicious honey, shows symptoms of staggering and has a glazed look, the honey is condemned.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Oh, poor dog!! You'd think that after a while he'd not like honey!!


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## damoc (Jul 14, 2007)

The pollen is good but if you get a year with a lot of oak honey dew (which comes in the fall here) combined with a long term of confinement that will kill them dead.


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## Mavors (Mar 30, 2007)

ssshhh....If this is true please don't tell my bees about the 30 acres of maple and oak trees behind them.

Mav


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## Mavors (Mar 30, 2007)

ChristopherReed said:


> bees dont read the same books as us. Not all harmful plants yield poisonous honey though. Honey from Poison Ivy has no harmful effects for example. honey from oleander or azalea is poisonous, and yes you could die from it. oleander nectar also harms bees and butterflies. Also watch out for yellow jasmine that produces poisonous honey. Several fatal cases were reported at the same time in New York State, caused by wild honey made from the flowers of laurel shrubs. Honey collected by the bees from mountain laurel is often poisonous. Even today the beekeepers in North and South Carolina first try the effect of laurel honey on the family dog. If the dog, after indulging in suspicious honey, shows symptoms of staggering and has a glazed look, the honey is condemned.


Now can honey be poisonous? Yes it can. Actually honey was used in first chemical warfare ever recorded. I think the Romans left some behind in a town they were forced out during a war and left the honey for the invading army to find.

Mav


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