Seeking information about the study done by Dr John Ambrose, NCSU entomologist, on the origin of blue honey in North Carolina in 1976,  or other information which gave first confirmation for the origin of blue honey.  It would be a valuable piece of information for a folder I’m fixing up, which will also contain short timeline for one of American beekeepings great mysteries; that of the origin for blue honey; this collection to be filed in the Historical Honeybee Articles Archives site.  Here is a very rough first draft and short timeline leading up to the Dr. Ambrose study.

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Gleanings in Bee Culture  1882
Blue honey has been found about here. A man named Kersey, who Is a noted bee-hunter, and generally kept a few swarms In the old way, told me that he once found some swarms on the Mississippi bottom in autumn that had honey of a bright blue color. He could not tell from what plants the honey was gathered. The honey season here has been excellent, but the past spring was very bad.

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Gleanings in Bee Culture 1949
A lot of blue honey is produced in the eastern part of the state

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by Roy A. Grout 1963
A blue honey of unknown origin is produced in North Carolina

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News Story 1976

“A beekeeper in Red Springs, Dave Ratley, has found large quantities
of the blue honey. Some was even sent to Germany for
analysis, but the German scientists who studied the honey sent it
back because they couldn't trace the blue color….”

“A scientist at North Carolina State University plans to study bee
habits this summer in an attempt to determine the cause of the blue
color….”

"This spring, we plan to observe the bees when the honey begins
to flow. We will mark the bees bringing in the blue honey and see
what kind of plant they get nectar from. There's a slight possibility
that the nectar they're gathering is blue in color," said Dr John
Ambrose, NCSU entomologist….”

Best Wishes,
Joe


      

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