Since when do bees make honey in various shades of blue and green?
Beekeepers in northeastern France were posing that most reasonable question lately, until they suspected their bees were eating the sugary waste from M&Ms -- those brightly colored, candy-shelled chocolates.
A biogas plant in Alsace is thought to be the culprit. It deals with waste from a Mars chocolate factory. Combine a harsh winter with a rainy summer, and the bees have had less time than usual for foraging, forcing beekeepers to set out sugar syrup for the bees.
The bees instead made a beeline for the waste chocolate shop. A spokesperson for the British Beekeeper's Association said, "Bees are clever enough to know where the best sources of sugar are, if they are no others available."
The biogas plant operator said it would clean up its operation and prevent this from happening again. Meanwhile, the beekeepers say they are stuck with the blue honey as it is unsellable.
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The flu continues here. The sticky-sweet, blue-green, overnight-blitzkrieg liquid is still fired off from a plastic shot-cup, those 10% alcohol shots firing across fever's bow. Then, it's lights out, early.
This morning, I awaken late and find Debate One has already been held, with most observers agreeing Romney has taken the first round.