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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT dtnspeed.net>]

<<[Star thistle] is good bee forage for preparing a hive for overwintering 
because the honey is a heavy dark color with a strong flavor.>>

Is the honey good tasting?

We don't have no steenking star thistle around here, but we have increasing
numbers of Canada thistle. It's a noxious weed, but as far as I can tell no
effort is made to encourage landowners to eradicate it, probably because
most land is under intense cultivation, and no one really gives a rat's
skinny behind about pasture, which hardly exists in most parts of the state.

In this area, we still have sizeable woodlots and pasture -- and lots of
thistle. My goats have eradicated most of it in the pasture, and I get most
of the rest with either the mower or a hoe, but it still persists.

It's not a pest like the cockle burr, though. Numbers are down this year,
but I still am going to have to have a day dedicated to removing mats from
goat legs, butts, and beards. The dogs and donkeys get daily work too. I've
held off on spraying, but I'm getting tempted -- maybe next spring when I
exterminate the poison hemlock....

Marie