Bees make M&M coloured honey

Published on 05/10/2012 00:00

Bees at a cluster of apiaries in north-eastern France have been producing honey in mysterious shades of blue and green, alarming their keepers who now believe residue from containers of M&Ms processed at a nearby bio­gas plant is the cause.

Since August, beekeepers around Ribeauville in Alsace have seen bees carrying colourful substances that have turned their honey unnatural shades.

The beekeepers investigated and found that a nearby plant has been processing waste from M&Ms. Agrivalor, the operator, said: “We discovered the problem at the same time. We put in place procedures to stop it.”