Explainer When Bees Choose Candy Over Flowers: The Mystery of the Blue-Green Honey

Back in 2012, in the picturesque Alsace region of northeastern France, a group of beekeepers stumbled upon a bizarre and colorful mystery. Their hives were producing honey in shades of bright blue and green—a far cry from the usual golden amber we expect from nature's sweetest product.

At first, they were baffled. Was it some strange new pollen? A freak environmental twist? And why did the honey smell... suspiciously like candy?

The truth was stranger—and more hilarious—than anyone expected.

Instead of buzzing from flower to flower like they were supposed to, the bees had discovered a nearby biogas plant that happened to be processing waste from a Mars candy factory, the same one that makes M&M’s. Drawn by the sugary scent, the bees began collecting the leftover colored sugar syrup used to coat the iconic candy.

The result? Technicolor honey.

While the honey smelled sweet and tasted fine, it clearly couldn’t be sold as a natural product. For the local beekeepers, it was more than just a quirky story—it was a financial setback in an already challenging year. Harsh winters had hit bee populations hard, and the last thing they needed was bees trading in flowers for factory leftovers.

In response to the incident, the factory took steps to secure its waste and prevent bees from sneaking in for sugary shortcuts.

This oddball incident is a surprisingly sweet reminder of how even the tiniest creatures can adapt to human industry—and how sometimes, even bees can't resist a sugar fix.