# Do bees pollinate peanuts?



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I don't think so. But I might be wrong. My professor was from the Peanut Capital of the World, Dothan, AL. I never heard him say anything about peanuts and bees. Maybe we didn't ask him.


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## johnblagg (May 15, 2011)

peanuts are self pollinating so I doubt it


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Yes, they are self pollinating. But I have a beeyard on a farm that rotates out cotton-peanuts every other year. Last year was a bit wet and the peanuts bloomed their little orange blooms. The bees went "nuts". Sorry for the pun. Not only did I have bees working the peanuts but I also harvested a medium super of honey from each of the 80 colonies of bees that are there. The honey was a white honey with a distinct peanuty flavor. The conditions must have been just right for this to have happened. As this is the only time that I can auctually say in 39 years of beekeeping that I produced peanut honey. TK


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

This bring me to this after thought......I was taught as a honey producer to always leave one empty super on. Even if you think the honey flow is over.....The reason being, like the peanut honey. You never know when some odd, strange plant that normally does not yield anything, suddenly with the right conditions produces a honey crop. If it is out there blooming yeilding nectar, the bees will find it. TK


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Bee's do work for Peanuts. Does that count?


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## lupester (Mar 12, 2008)

Good one EastSide! These peanuts, cotton, soybeans and alphafa are irrigated.


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## johnblagg (May 15, 2011)

lol... ok so as hot as it is will they be honey roasted too.Bees do learn how to get nector from plants that are not actually adapted to them as pollinators and do in fact learn to chew holes in blooms to get to nector


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Ted
Was there any noticeable differance in the yield ?
Strawberrys are air polinated but the yield is larger when worked by bees.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Yummm, I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches!!!! Peanut flavored honey would be interesting!!!
Ed


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

That I can not say, because it got SO wet the farmer was not able to harvest the crop. He turned them over but it kept raining. Seems like the birds and the crows had a really good time for three months. From what I could tell was the vines were loaded with nuts. TED


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

lupester said:


> I am about to move my hives to a place that has blooming peanuts. Do the bees get any nectar or pollen from them?


Please let us know what you find if the bees work the peanuts.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

lupester said:


> Do the bees get any nectar or pollen from them?


According to Dothan, AL native, Jim Tew, "No. I checked this out w/ Auburn University a long time ago." Which probably means 40 or 50 years ago. Maybe something else will supply forage for them.


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## broodhead (May 30, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> I don't think so. But I might be wrong. My professor was from the Peanut Capital of the World, Dothan, AL. I never heard him say anything about peanuts and bees. Maybe we didn't ask him.


Maybe your professor was from Dothan, which is the condom capital of the world, but Georgia produces much more than any other state. Plains, Georgia is at the top of the list. Dothan produces condoms and Sony TV screens.


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## swissrollboy (Mar 29, 2011)

I would love to have tried some of the "peanuty honey"


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

So now we know what they do w/ all the shells?


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