# Can the bees get to Honeysuckle?



## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

well, you can eat the blackberries as well as make honey off the blackberry bushes









I've heard they can't reach the nectar in Japanese honeysuckles, but other people tell me they get honey off them. I've never seen a honey bee on one, myself. I think it may be a confusion between native honeysuckle and the japanese honeysuckle that is taking over everything.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

I don't know how much nectar they get out of the honeysuckle but I did see a few bees working it the other day!

Dan


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

My understanding is that the bee's probiscus is too short to acquire nectar from honeysuckle flower, however this does not prevent them from acquiring a bit of pollen from the plant. But it does make you wonder why they call it honeysuckle?


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## Curry (Sep 22, 2003)

As with blueberries and other plants where the bees probiscus is too small... a bumble bee will chew through the base of the flower so the bumble bee can more easily reach the nectar. Once there is a chew hole, the honeybee can come along later and use that some hole to get nectar.

Now, I don't know if that's the case with honeysuckle, but there is a deep-throated flowering bush across the street from me where I've seen them do that.


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## artic (Feb 18, 2005)

> ...make you wonder why they call it honeysuckle?


Now I might be completely wrong about this, and I'm not taking any responsibility if you do it. I have head it acquired its name due to large amount of nectar it produces that can be enjoyed by pulling out a flower and suck(ling) it.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Frag (fragrant) honeysuckle is able to be worked by honeybees. It is a short flower and one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring.


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## jathomas (May 26, 2005)

"Now I might be completely wrong about this, and I'm not taking any responsibility if you do it..."

My sister and I feasted on honeysuckle and blackberries on a pretty regular basis throughout the Georgia spring and summer months. Honeysuckle is enjoyed by picking a flower that is a little yellowed, but not wilted, and breaking off the green tip, if it hasn't come off already. Then you may be able to see a little of the pistil peeking through the now broken stem. Grab it, pull it back through the flower, and there is often, but not always, a drop of nectar for you hanging from the stigma (pistil's tip).

Once, we decided we would try to gather enough nectar this way to fill a pitcher. After three hours, and a few noble drops in the bottom of the giant container, we gave up and went looking for a turtle to harass instead.


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## franc (Jan 7, 2003)

Honeysuckle both the vine type and the bush type are worked by bees here.I consider the vine type to be good for a strong flow at times.The bees don't need to go all the way down the flower to collect nectar as some will usually be along the inside sides of the flower,it seems moisture increases the flow.


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

Now that's living, JaThomas!

I'll still sip a honey suckle now and then.

Waya


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## uncletom (Apr 4, 2003)

The bees would be working long in hard in the honeysuckle right now, if it wasnt raining... it always rains and turns cold as soon as it blooms. 

I have lots of honeysuckle bushes. when they are in bloom and the sun is shinning the bees work like mad in it. You can stand there and watch, the hedge is just teeming with bees. 

I have never taken off any honeysuckle honey, for me its a spring build up plant. 

Years ago the state of New York gave out Honeysuckle plants as part of a wildlife package for land owners to plant. Now they call it an invasive plant and want everyone to distroy it. (Same with Multiflora rose)

I know nothing of honeysuckle vines, we dont have them around here. 

tom


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## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/honeywhite.jpg 

this is the vine type japanese honeysuckle. I've inspected a few of the flowers and I just can't see the bee being able to make it more than a 1/4 of the way into the flower. That doesn't mean they won't get pollen off it though. If you slice it lengthwise, most of the nectar is at the bottom. According to that site, bumblebees *do* tear holes at the bottom, which the bees may use.

Another confusing bit is that if you look up "honeysuckle" on google you get quite a few different plants. Here is a pic of one type of honeysuckle that the bees work

http://www.fallingstar.net/awakened/entries/pics/weekend/03_09_arb_bee.jpg


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

Branman sezs:
this is the vine type japanese honeysuckle. I've inspected a few of the flowers and I just can't see the bee being able to make it more than a 1/4 of the way into the flower. That doesn't mean they won't get pollen off it though. If you slice it lengthwise, most of the nectar is at the bottom. According to that site, bumblebees *do* tear holes at the bottom, which the bees may use.
Another confusing bit is that if you look up "honeysuckle" on google you get quite a few different plants. Here is a pic of one type of honeysuckle that the bees work
tecumseh replies: 
As to paragraph one: after consulting with my very educated wife she confirmed that an example used of cooperative behavior is the example you used above. Plus she said there was a type of humming bird that would tear hole in the 'honeysuckly' much like the bumblebees.
and paragraph two: Certainly honeysuckle is a common name and I think several people here could be describing different plants. It seems quite unlikely that the same plant would produce honey in the northern US and essentially be totally ignored by the bees in the southern US.
Thanks for the 'explaination' Artic. Your limited liability statement sounded a bit like one of those... don't do this at home.... soundbites.


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## artic (Feb 18, 2005)

> Your limited liability statement sounded a bit like one of those... don't do this at home.... soundbites.


Well like you said *tecumseh*, people are likely using _honeysuckle_ to describe a broad range of plants, I don't want to be blamed if someone tries it and gets sick because they used the wrong variety.


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