...  substance which entered the colony, even with random distribution, would
have different concentrations in the cells. Obviously capped cells would
have none while the rest would go from negiligble (cells almost ready to
cap) to near 100% ...      So when we have the sight test, as noted often on this list, of colored soda/ nectar sources/dye experiments and their appearance in honey cells,
we might say the distribution is uniform. 

I used food coloring in the sugar syrup I fed to my bees late in December (Lower Alabama) to encourage and early buildup of bee population prior to the early spring honey flow.  It was very evident where the bees were storing the colored syrup and while there might have been a mixing of syrup and nectar, most of what I saw stored seemed to be very distinctive in color from what had already been stored.   And, upon cursory inspection, there didn't seem to be a shading of color within the stored cells indicating a mixture of syrup and nectar.  Of course, at the time, I was not looking for this shading, or dilution, of the sugar syrup stored.

Mike in LA


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