"Eric, bees also prefer syrup laced with nicotine!  But foragers don't
 eat pollen, so unlikely.  Randy Oliver"

3 years ago I was working with beekeepers in the Istria area of Croatia, near the Slovenian -Italian border.  A new major tobacco company built a cigarette factory in the vicinity.  Beekeepers were dumbfounded at the almost 100% loss of hives.  These are 6 and 7 generation beekeepers who know their bees intimately and whose only means of support are their hives.  After we did much investigating we found the tobacco company had built a spectacular pond/lake on the grounds of their beautiful new factory/campus.  The supply for the pond was the factories runoff created in the processing of tobacco. The observations showed the bees that were drawn to this body of water died prematurely.  Subsequently, all beekeepers have now moved their hives a safe distance form this beautifully landscaped factory and losses are minimal.

Joe Carson  
 
 		 	   		  
             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm