In message <[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] writes: > > Regarding the discussion about city hives versus country hives. Does > anybody know what benefit the readily available garbage in the city > has on the bees? It seems there is a ready supply of sweets every > where. They certainly can if they find a suitable reliable source. Most of the sources however are not reliable enough for the bees foraging 'intelligence' system (you know, the bee dance and so on). I do know of a case when it happend and I'm sure there are others. The beekeeper was puzzled by the appearance of the honey. It was less clear than usual and had a curious blue/green tinge to it. With some caution he tasted a small sample -- Peppermint Cream! From the nearby candy factory. > I have only observed yellow jackets trying to get into my soda > but it seems logical that honey bees would be equally interested. Honeybees store food ready for the winter and are quietly tidying up for winter -- they've mostly already got their stores by autumn (fall). Yellow jacket nests however, collapse in the autumn as these do _not_ survive through the winter. The adults normally get their food in the form of a sugary secretion from the brood, in return for feeding meat to them. So in the fall there are lots of adults looking for food and few larvae to supply it, so the adults start to get desparate. -- Gordon Scott [log in to unmask] Compuserve 100332,3310 Basingstoke Beekeeper [log in to unmask]