in the fields along the Sonoma coast,
the air is laden with the odor of spice:
cinnamon, and nutmeg, and decay.
Sonorous European honeybees buzz in,
dizzily, they roll on their backs in ecstasy,
Xenophon, and Pompey Xenophon in 401 BC in Anabasis “… but the swarms of bees in the neighborhood were numerous, and the soldiers who ate of the honey all went of their heads, and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, and not one of them could stand up, but those who had eaten a little were like people exceedingly drunk, while those who had eaten a great deal seemed like crazy, or even, in some cases, dying men. So they lay there in great numbers as though the army had suffered a defeat, and great despondency prevailed. On the next day, however, no one had died, and at approximately the same hour as they had eaten the honey they began to come to their senses; and on the third or fourth day they got up, as if from a drugging”
The paradox of toxic nectar and pollen in death camas For death camas, only one specialist is known. The death camas bee, Andrena astragali, is a solitary, ground-nesting species, one of the many related species referred to as mining bees. Death camas bees collect pollen from death camas, but do not eat the pollen and probably eschew its nectar as well.... Pollination biologists with a flair for chemistry have found toxic nectar or pollen in 21 different plant groups, so this strategy to deter generalist pollinators and nectar thieves may be somewhat rare but is widespread.
such sweet mead madness in morning meadows.
Then they drunkenly port their toxic booty
back with them to share with the hive.
In Anatolia and Iran, bountiful bees gather nectar
from the rhododendrons and azaleas. Blood-red
rose-of-the-forest Deli bal honeycombs
were planted along the routes of the invading armies
of Xenophon, and Pompey. Roman legions,
after eating the mad honey, were delirious.
They swooned, light-headed. The narcotic
bitter honey was both a term of endearment
and a weapon of mass destruction.
It was such sweet surrender as they fell,
into their camp beds and on the battlefields
fringing the shores of the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, our bouquets of Diogenes lanterns
blossomed on empty Syrian airfields. Shells,
and sarin gas, like breathing knives made of fire,
our funereal sweetmeats for the dead.
In Anatolia and Iran, bountiful bees gather nectar
from the rhododendrons and azaleas. Blood-red
rose-of-the-forest Deli bal honeycombs
were planted along the routes of the invading armies
of Xenophon, and Pompey. Roman legions,
after eating the mad honey, were delirious.
They swooned, light-headed. The narcotic
bitter honey was both a term of endearment
and a weapon of mass destruction.
It was such sweet surrender as they fell,
into their camp beds and on the battlefields
fringing the shores of the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, our bouquets of Diogenes lanterns
blossomed on empty Syrian airfields. Shells,
and sarin gas, like breathing knives made of fire,
our funereal sweetmeats for the dead.
Some of my bee poems
IRATE BEES haiku .
FLIGHT MANIFEST
NECTAR SEEKERS
POLLINATION 1.0
MAD HONEY
NECTAR THIEVES, haiku
IRATE BEES haiku .
FLIGHT MANIFEST
NECTAR SEEKERS
POLLINATION 1.0
MAD HONEY
NECTAR THIEVES, haiku
Some links Native azalea, rhododendron, death camas, corn lily, mountain laurel, sheep laurel, and locoweeds are toxic to non-native European honeybees. Italian x Carniolan hybrids are supposed to be more resistant to the toxic charms of the buckeye. Question :is the pollen or nectar that is toxic?
Experts give buzz on mad honey —Texas A&M Today
Mad Honey – The Alameda County Beekeepers Association Dang, they took the page down. bad link
The Strange History of ‘Mad Honey’ Deli bal
The Strange History of ‘Mad Honey’ Deli bal
Mad Honey —Atlas Obscura
Grayantoxin —Wiki
World's Largest Honey Bee Makes Rare Hallucinogenic Honey Mauli Dhan Rai, known as "the last honey hunter," passed away in May 2018.
World's Largest Honey Bee Makes Rare Hallucinogenic Honey Mauli Dhan Rai, known as "the last honey hunter," passed away in May 2018.
Not all plants are safe for bees —SFGate When a colony gets "buckeyed," worker bees don't succumb, but develop paralysis and fatal constipation. A queen may stop laying eggs, or produce only male (drone) eggs. They may fail to hatch, or have malformed wings and bodies, and the workers don't attempt to forage, the queen may be dethroned.
Xenophon, and Pompey Xenophon in 401 BC in Anabasis “… but the swarms of bees in the neighborhood were numerous, and the soldiers who ate of the honey all went of their heads, and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, and not one of them could stand up, but those who had eaten a little were like people exceedingly drunk, while those who had eaten a great deal seemed like crazy, or even, in some cases, dying men. So they lay there in great numbers as though the army had suffered a defeat, and great despondency prevailed. On the next day, however, no one had died, and at approximately the same hour as they had eaten the honey they began to come to their senses; and on the third or fourth day they got up, as if from a drugging”
The paradox of toxic nectar and pollen in death camas For death camas, only one specialist is known. The death camas bee, Andrena astragali, is a solitary, ground-nesting species, one of the many related species referred to as mining bees. Death camas bees collect pollen from death camas, but do not eat the pollen and probably eschew its nectar as well.... Pollination biologists with a flair for chemistry have found toxic nectar or pollen in 21 different plant groups, so this strategy to deter generalist pollinators and nectar thieves may be somewhat rare but is widespread.
First drafts:
When the azaleas bloom, the air smells like cinnamon
When the wild azaleas bloom along the Sonoma coast,
the air is laden with the odor of spice:
cinnamon and nutmeg. and something more narcotic.
Sonorous european honeybees buzz in,
and roll on their backs in ecstasy, such sweet mad mead.
Then they take back to the hive their poisonous booty.
the air is laden with the odor of spice:
cinnamon and nutmeg. and something more narcotic.
Sonorous european honeybees buzz in,
and roll on their backs in ecstasy, such sweet mad mead.
Then they take back to the hive their poisonous booty.
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