> I happen to think low concentrations of pyridine smell sweet and like butterscotch.  Many people find the same concentration of pyridine to be more offensive than skunk. 

Thanks for this observation. My wife frequently finds things taste or smell unpleasant, things that I like. She noticed the funky smell in autumn once and asked me if something was dead in the yard. I told her it was goldenrod nectar. 

But what is odd is that I have not smelled this in quite a few years, despite being surrounded by goldenrod. I assumed that it was because they were getting knotweed instead, although later in the season when the knotweed is done, goldenrod is no doubt coming into the hives. 

Genetic traits would account for why my wife and I perceive odors and tastes differently, but I wonder if a change could take place in an individual. I will say that I have a very acute sense of smell, often picking up aromas that others do not detect.

I found this reference:

> Unripe Solidago honey (i.e. when the maturing activity of bees is not finished) has an unpleasant smell that is recognized by bears and leads them to the hives where they rob the bees (Root and Root, 2005).

They cite: Root, A.I., Root, E.R., 2005. The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture. Kessinger Publishing, LLC, Whitefish, MT, USA, pp. 233–234.

I have been unable to find any reference to *goldenrod and bears* in any of the ten or so editions of the ABC that I have access to. Curious, did they just make that up, or is the citation wrong? I am guessing the edition is not "2005" but a reprint of an old edition.

PLB

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