Adrian Graham DENT insightfully writes:
>
> > This smell is more than likely from goldenrod honey that the bees are
>
> What is golden rod??  I have been following this discussion with
> interest, because occasionaly my hives smell real strongly to, but if
> golden  rod is an american plant, I don't think that would be the
> answer.  Does anyone know of any australian equivalent??
>
You _might_ be barking up the wrong tree here.  Sometimes at night, or
evening, when things are still, and I am walking around the bee yard, I
can smell the alarm pher.. from the hives.  Even before I touch them, if I
haven't smoked, they produce it readily.  It has a sick-sweet smell.
 
IF your hives are making this smell to the extent described here, then you
may have a rodent-intruder in your bee yard regularly.  This will make the
bees a bit edgy.  Which _just_ is producing alarm pheremone (sp?) (can't
be bothered to look it up).
 
 
Just a suggestion, from a person who checks his hives at odd hours, Phil
 
--
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Phil Veldhuis           |  "if something is not worth doing,
Winnipeg. MB, Canada    |  it is not worth doing right"
[log in to unmask] |                     Dave Barry (1985)