# Poison ivy honey request



## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Hi all!!! 

I was talking to a neighbour down the street and they asked me if I had any poison ivy honey they could get. The day before I was at a nutritional health store getting wintergreen and lemongrass oils. When asked I explained lemongrass oil (which had to be ordered) was for luring swarms next year. The store owner asked if I had honey she could sell. I said maybe next year and she said she would buy and sell as much raw honey as I could get her. Weird back to back like that, huh? 

Has anyone else had poison ivy requests? Or even tried it?

David


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

I've never seen flowers on posion ivy and would doubt the bee would get work it much as it grows during time when more plentiful nectar sources would be prevelant. Some believe that injesting the oils/irratants from PI will help you build resistance. Possibly that's the idea behind the honey.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Poison ivy has TINY flowers, and they persist only briefly I believe. I'd be surprised if they were much of a nectar source.


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## Hill's Hivery (Jan 7, 2005)

As far as the PI is concerned, I have not seen flowers on them and agree with Ben. If they do have flowers I am betting that there isn't much of a draw for the girls.

Congrats on the lead for selling at the store. I actually went and talked with our local store and found out that she had been searching for a local source of honey to sell. She also wants pollen, but I am not collecting it until probably next year. Those type of stores are great in that people that shop there understand the difference between store bought and natural honey!


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## Dick Allen (Sep 4, 2004)

Bees collect nectar from the flowers, but no ill effects from contact with honey have been reported (12)

12. Klingman, D. L., D. E. Davis, E. L. Knake, W B. McHenry, J. A. Meade, and R. E. Stewart. 1983. Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac. USDA, Ext. Serv., Washington, DC. 16 p.

http://www.wssa.net/photo&info/larrymitich_info/poisonivy.htm


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## daniel G. (Feb 24, 2005)

Poison ivy has nice white flowrs and bees do collect the nectar from theses flowers. The leaves turn a nice red color when the weather turns colder in the fall. The honey is good and can be eaten. It will build your immune system up to poison ivy. Apparentley you do not have a rash affect by eating the honey. Dan.


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

On the poison ivy. It will bloom throughout the summer, however it is most prevalent in my area in late spring. This past summer, I noticed bees humming around a few walnut trees. The hum was extremely loud. However, it was past bloom time for walnuts. I actually got my binoculars and glassed around the tree top. No bees were seen in the top of the tree. As I moved closer to the trunk, low and behold, I saw hundreds of bees flying around. I thought there was a swarm at first. But a closer look revealed that the bees were going bonkers over a poison ivy vine growing up the tree. I would have never guessed. This is good news, considering we have tons of it in my area!


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I don't think that small flowers necessarily mean little nectar. I have some planted hollies that you'd nearly need a magnifying glass to see the flowers....but when in bloom are covered with bees harvesting nectar. There are so many bees that you can't hold a conversation for the volume of buzzing.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Poison ivy blooms when allot of other stuff is blooming. You could say your honey is wildflower honey and includes poison ivy if it grows in your area.

I don’t think it is possible to have only poison ivy honey.


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