>and I have to say I've never seen any bees in the soybeans.

In the bootheel of Missouri I have personally seen 80-100 Delta Bee Farm
hives in a single location on soybeans with several supers full of soybean
honey.

Also the hives of Dennis Simmons in Illinois south of Quincy.

However we only make soybean honey every once in awhile in my area of
Missouri.

 I have found the bees enter the rows from the outside of the rows . Usually
between 10 am & 2 PM on certain days and only when nectar is flowing. I find
the bees seem to mainly work soybeans with the purple flowers but in the
bootheel a friend ( Delta Bee Farm) which runs around 8,000 hives reports he
produces soybean honey from both the white & purple flowers.  Soil or
humidity difference?

Many barrels of soybean honey are produced in the Missouri bootheel and the
River bottoms of northern Arkansas ( Fisher bee farm & Jester Bee Farm).

I have meet  another beekeeper   from the East Tennessee area which hauls
all his hives to the Mississippi River bottoms of west Tennessee for Soybean
honey. I saw his bee truck at a restaurant on a trip back north from
Georgia. I don't remember his name right now but have got his card in the
card file. Was not very friendly to myself and an employee until he
recognized my name and said" aren't you the guy what wrote the article on
the Russian bees in Bee Culture"? He then opened up to us and shared
information about soybean honey. He was very interested in the Russian Bee.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
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