# Datura Poisoning/Toxic to Bees or people?????



## sandesoils (Jul 11, 2008)

I just read that Datura is toxic. Datura grows wild EVERYWHERE here in the southwest (southeastern CA). I've got some in the yard - yellow & purple, and see the girls inside the flowers often. Does anyone know anything about this??
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According to some sources:

Bee nectar collection from Datura plants in Mexico and Hungary, belladonna flowers, henbane (Hyoscamus niger) plants from Hungary, Serjania lethalis from Brazil and Gelsemium sempervirens from the American Southwest can all result in toxic honey.

http://mistressbeek.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/will-my-bees-and-i-hallucinate-on-datura/
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## mike haney (Feb 9, 2007)

dont obsess over it. this is so rare you would be more likely to be kidnapped by aliens........


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Suspected Moonflower Intoxication --- Ohio, 2002*

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5233a2.htm
During October 11--November 20, 2002, the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) received notification of and offered treatment advice for 14 adolescents in the Akron/Cleveland, Ohio, area who became ill after intentional exposure to toxic seeds that DPIC identified as Datura inoxia (Figure). All became ill shortly after eating the seeds or drinking tea brewed using the seeds. All patients recovered fully after treatment. This report summarizes these cases, discusses the characteristics of the various plants known commonly as "moonflowers," and underscores the need for awareness of the potential toxicity from recreational use of a plant. 

Of the 14 patients, 12 (86%) were male; median age was 17 years (range: 12--19 years). All 14 patients reported to the emergency department (ED) with anticholinergic signs and symptoms, including dilated pupils, tachycardia, hallucinations, and urinary retention. Signs and symptoms typically lasted 24--48 hours, and the illness resolved with supportive care and benzodiazepine administration. No long-term effects were documented. 



Regards,
Ernie Lucas Apiaries


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

sandesoils said:


> . . . Gelsemium sempervirens from the American Southwest . . .


 Actually for the Southeastern U.S., not Southwest - major difference. Though it is grown as landscape ornamental in some areas of the Southwest, it is not native there.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

We have lots of Datura Wrightii around here, including in my yard. Once established, this stuff is hard to get rid of. 

http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/White Enlarged Photo Pages/datura wrightii.htm

The flowers will close during the day, and close fast enough to trap foraging bees inside. It's amusing to walk by the plant and hear bees buzzing inside. The flowers are so large that it seems that the bees have difficulty getting out if they're deep down in the base. Not sure why they do that as the pollen is way outside. I've not heard of it creating a problem in honey.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Jimson weed*

Around here that's what we call Datura. The local indians ( long ago ) used it in mens puberty initiations. When I was in high school a group of local Mono indian boys thought they would try it out. A friend of mine died from the poisoning.


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## kasha77 (Nov 12, 2011)

*Re: Jimson weed*

I am a newbie and plan on buying my first nucs this coming spring. I have an extensive collection on about 1/8 acre of Brugmansia, cousin to the Datura. All parts of Brugmansia are very poisonous, and can be fatal if ingested. This fall when they were in their glory covered with hundreds of sweet smelling blooms, thousands of honey bees appeared , one every 6 inches, throughout my gardens and filled their little buckets with brug pollen. I recently read a post somewhere else that a beekeeper had Brugmansia also and he said all of his bees died after visiting them. This is really worrying me! I don't want to poison any bees and am concerned about the toxicity of the honey. I wish I knew of a lab who could answer these questions for me. By the way - the guy never had his dead bees analyzed to see why they died. DUH! He has more bees now though. Do bees know enough not to visit something that will hurt them? Any thoughts of truth will help me!


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

*Re: Jimson weed*

We have a ton of Sacred Datura around my parts. It IS native to New Mexico - and very toxic. Not sure if the bees like it. Don't ever ingest it, for the line between an overdose and simply getting high is very, very, slim. I imagine if the bees collect from it it could possibly make the honey toxic, but I have not heard of it happening. I do hear about nitwit kids poisoning themselves with it from time to time.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

*Re: Jimson weed*

I grow it in Montana as an ornamental. The bees are on mine mostly at break of day.


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## kasha77 (Nov 12, 2011)

Thanks everybody for your replies- I'm still wondering if the honey would be toxic or not-


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Perhaps a "Poison Control Center" would be able to answer such questions.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Moon Vine, also commonly known as jimson weed, is a member of the datura family. All parts of this plant are toxic to humans including the nectar. I would however assume that the amount of nectar distilled by the bees that contain the active alkaloid (atropine) would have to be in a concentrated amount to be a concern to someone consuming the honey. In other words if you had several acres growing in large quantity and the bees were able to gather that much of it, you might want to think twice about eating it. Obviously most of our nectar is mixed with other sources, and we usually don't worry about things like that. The plant itself and nectar are not toxic to honeybees. Datura is a member of the potato as I recall from my college days. There has been much written about this plant as a hallucinogenic (Carlos Castaneda) ..but atropine stops the heart, hence the caution to consuming any part of the plant for a high.


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