Honey colours

I'm currently harvesting the spring crop and although most of my sites are fields of OSR there are the odd mixed woodland site.

Last night I came across a few frames of almost red honey. Only in one hive (out of 15 at this site). It was pretty rich and almost fruity to taste. I don't think there is a raspberry jam factory nearby!

Any ideas ?

Are there any online resources about honey colours and tastes ?

A few years ago there were reports of bees foraging on something like sugary sweets from a factory with a resultant 'funny' colour to the honey. I can't recall the details - it's all a bit vague - but someone else might remember it. Maybe your bees have found something unusual like that. I did have one colony one year that had a bunch of frames with really dark, strong, honey which I believe to have been honeydew. None of the other stocks on the site found that source of food.

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Originally Posted by Adam

A few years ago there were reports of bees foraging on something like sugary sweets from a factory with a resultant 'funny' colour to the honey. I can't recall the details - it's all a bit vague - but someone else might remember it. Maybe your bees have found something unusual like that. I did have one colony one year that had a bunch of frames with really dark, strong, honey which I believe to have been honeydew. None of the other stocks on the site found that source of food.

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Hey Adam - I think it might be japanese knotweed as there is a stand nearby. Also could be honeydew I guess.

Isn't it early for Knotweed to be in flower? I usually see it in late Summer.

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Originally Posted by Adam

A few years ago there were reports of bees foraging on something like sugary sweets from a factory with a resultant 'funny' colour to the honey. I can't recall the details -

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M&M discards...blue honey as picture below.

https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/...crop-smart.jpg

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Originally Posted by Thymallus

M&M discards...blue honey as picture below.

https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/...crop-smart.jpg

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Bell heather honey is wine red I think.


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Part of my spring harvest from a suburb apiary were 9 beautifully capped frames of a very pale honey - the rest is the normal medium colored sycamore/hawthorn that I get. The bees are about 2 miles from OSR, but there is no crystallization, the honey was taken off last week well after all the OSR is finished. There are raspberry crops nearby but mainly in poly-tunnels, various apple trees abound in the garden. I have not spotted any borage west of Dundee/Invergowrie and the timing for clover seems out. Any suggestions for a source for a pale honey and anyone else see this? The taste is OK, but lacking the floral notes that I prefer.

FD I took some very pale honey off which I believe to be dandelion. It smells terrible, but tastes OK.

Thanks Jambo - smell is fine, not too strong, not unpleasant.