Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: spafmagic on July 23, 2020, 04:08:17 pm

Title: Pink... honey...?
Post by: spafmagic on July 23, 2020, 04:08:17 pm: Did an inspection of my super here in Kernersville, NC. I'm stumpped... Pink honey? In some of the empty cells you can see a hot redish pink "bee bread." Anybody know of a natural source that can produce this? Pics below:

(https://i.imgur.com/PsbrPUT.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/q8FU3Q3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/oz28htU.jpg)
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Ben Framed on July 23, 2020, 07:12:19 pm: Can't tell by the picture, but your description could it possibly be Humming Bird feed (colored sugar water)? Something else?

From the picture is looks like normal golden honey to me.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: van from Arkansas on July 23, 2020, 10:33:02 pm: Mr. Ben, you hit the nail on the head on this one: hummingbird sugar syrup with red dye.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Ben Framed on July 23, 2020, 11:13:13 pm: Mr Van I was viewing from my phone earlier and could not see the difference in the colors but on the laptop it is obvious that certain cells are holding this red.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Absinthe on July 23, 2020, 11:17:06 pm: Ever heard of "red stingers" :)
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Ben Framed on July 23, 2020, 11:22:58 pm: Quote from: Absinthe on July 23, 2020, 11:17:06 pm
Ever heard of "red stingers" :)

I have not.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Dabbler on July 24, 2020, 08:25:14 am: For "fun" one year, I added different colors each week to the feed syrup.
This let me see where the bees were storing the syrup. Holding a filled feed frame up to the sunlight had a very stained glass appearance.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Nock on July 24, 2020, 09:56:44 am: Quote from: Dabbler on July 24, 2020, 08:25:14 am
For "fun" one year, I added different colors each week to the feed syrup.
This let me see where the bees were storing the syrup. Holding a filled feed frame up to the sunlight had a very stained glass appearance.
That?s a great idea. I will have to try that just out of curiosity.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Robo on July 24, 2020, 04:27:50 pm: Quote from: Dabbler on July 24, 2020, 08:25:14 am
For "fun" one year, I added different colors each week to the feed syrup.
This let me see where the bees were storing the syrup. Holding a filled feed frame up to the sunlight had a very stained glass appearance.

Using food coloring in feed is also a good trick when you have honey supers on to make sure it doesn't end up in your honey. Don't ask me why one feeds with honey supers on, but people do.
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: Robo on July 24, 2020, 04:33:48 pm: Quote from: spafmagic on July 23, 2020, 04:08:17 pm
Anybody know of a natural source that can produce this?

Careful, you might be uncovering a crime scene :wink:

https://moneyversed.com/red-honey-clue/?nogdprc=1
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: spafmagic on July 24, 2020, 08:33:17 pm: interesting responses... I would be inclined to lean toward the humming bird feeder theory. the close up pic has an open cell that has a clear view of the stuffs in question. it almost looks like bee bread submerged in nectar.

as for a "crime scene..." I did hear about the maraschino cherry incident. lol!
Title: Re: Pink... honey...?
Post by: rgennaro on July 26, 2020, 02:42:39 pm: One of my kids had a book that told the story of a beekeeper in France who got blue bees and honey... it was from the dye of a nearby M&Ms factory