Will bees use crystallised ivy honey?

[maddydog]

Nope, sorry, don't buy that. You are saying that bees have genetic knowledge of what sugar sources are good and what are bad.

Why then do bees go for any sugar source, such as, for example the French waste processing plant that recycled waste from M&M sweets?

?

If a colony possesses a genetic trait for M&M sweets and this source of sugar is deleterious to their health then they'll die out. If all bees collect poisonous sugar at any given location then they'll all die out. Given that all bees collect Ivy nectar (given the chance) and thrive, this would suggest Ivy does no harm.

 

[MuswellMetro]

If a colony possesses a genetic trait for M&M sweets and this source of sugar is deleterious to their health then they'll die out. If all bees collect poisonous sugar at any given location then they'll all die out. Given that all bees collect Ivy nectar (given the chance) and thrive, this would suggest Ivy does no harm.

They collect honeydew with all its complex sugars and ling heather honey, both are not very good for them and cause dysentery and other problems over winter

 

[Hivemaker.]

ling heather honey, both are not very good for them and cause dysentery and other problems over winter

Heard this before, but not a thing I have ever seen here, always found ling to be an excellent source of winter stores, no problems at all, and those colonies wintering on heather honey seem to be the most advanced colonies come spring.

 

[Gaz1]

I hope so as bees filled a brood box with it! I'm counting on them to know what they are doing if not I'll give them a good talking to

 

[mintmoth]

Yes a usable food source regardless of colour or origin, they sure do know what they are doing, do you not agree..? .

http://www.blisstree.com/2013/01/17/food/blue-dye-toxic-health/

If a colony possesses a genetic trait for M&M sweets and this source of sugar is deleterious to their health then they'll die out. If all bees collect poisonous sugar at any given location then they'll all die out. Given that all bees collect Ivy nectar (given the chance) and thrive, this would suggest Ivy does no harm.

^^^^

 

[user 6228]

If a colony possesses a genetic trait for M&M sweets and this source of sugar is deleterious to their health then they'll die out. If all bees collect poisonous sugar at any given location then they'll all die out. Given that all bees collect Ivy nectar (given the chance) and thrive, this would suggest Ivy does no harm.

rather it doesn't do sufficient harm to make avoiding it an significant advantage
honeybees have had a sufficiently widespread and long exposure to ivy but they havent to M&M waste.

Take the lack of preference for tall thin nest cavities, prior to man the only widespread source of cavities 5m off the ground was trees. Trees only provide tall thin cavities. The bee fails to develop an aversion to low fat cavities from lack of a prolonged exposure.

 

[Swarm]

I can't believe this thread.

 

[maddydog]

rather it doesn't do sufficient harm to make avoiding it an significant advantage
honeybees have had a sufficiently widespread and long exposure to ivy but they havent to M&M waste.

Take the lack of preference for tall thin nest cavities, prior to man the only widespread source of cavities 5m off the ground was trees. Trees only provide tall thin cavities. The bee fails to develop an aversion to low fat cavities from lack of a prolonged exposure.

No individual bees are making a conscious decision when collecting sugars. Those populations not ultimately fit to survive on what sugars are available will die out and the survivors will prosper in the void.
In all likelihood the bees probably do just as well whether it's ivy or M&M's, I suspect the beek was bemoaning his blue honey!

 

[REDWOOD]

I can't believe this thread.

Come on Swarm it's amusing if nothing else

the only thing I want to know doe's Winnie the Pooh like M&M's I would hate to think if he went hungry

 

[mintmoth]

Come on Swarm it's amusing if nothing else

the only thing I want to know does Winnie the Pooh like M&M's I would hate to think if he went hungry

Winnie-The-Pooh is sugar-free, just like me.

 

[Beefriendly]

No individual bees are making a conscious decision when collecting sugars.

They are sampling the available nectar sources and they generally concentrate their efforts on the most concentrated sugar/nectar source. If that happens to be waste products from M&M then they will take it in preference to less rich sources, unless a richer source becomes widely available.
Seeley (and others) showed that only forager bees returning from nectar sources above a certain threshold of sugar danced and recruited. Although this threshold changes according to available sources and seasons..