I've only had one occasion where I believe my bees collected honeydew. The
spring was extremely wet with rain every day in April and up to last week of
May when the rain stopped. I ended up harvesting several supers of very dark
honey that the bees produced from late May to mid June after the rain
stopped.
The honey was very dark with a tangy almost molasses like aftertaste. I
have a sample that has not gone to sugar and shows very little granulation going
into the 5th year nor has it spoiled.
Speaking of a weird honey, I've received several reports coming from North
Georgia that beekeepers there are finding hives with supers of a clear water
white or yellowish honey with a motor oil smell/awful taste. Ended up being
identified as mountain laurel/rhododendron, a honey with toxic effects if too
much is ingested. Very unusual, but a late frost killed many normal nectar
sources and I suspect dry weather also contributed to a dearth of other nectar
plants.
Jerry Wallace
Atlanta, GA
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