Extreme Propolis.

The Newbattle bees have developed the rather unpleasant habit of collecting silly amounts of propolis, a substance derived from the resins that trees use to protect their developing buds and for sealing wounds. It is disgusting stuff and the main reason why I use Marigolds rather than the thin leather gloves provided by the bee keeping suppliers; it being impossible to remove from the proprietary items. I regularly get through three pairs while inspecting my six colonies as it sticks my fingers together, and to anything else that I touch. The bees have problems as well, and it can be amusing to watch them attempting to clean themselves (and each other) after they're been collecting it.

Of course, it is a vital resource for the bees; they use it to stick all the hive parts together, to stop draughts, to plaster rough and rotten parts of the fabric of their home, and even to mummify errant mice that have crawled in and died (the rotting corpse would be most insanitary if they didn't do so). However, these thick puddles of the stuff is most unusual and, to the best of my knowledge, purely a local phenomenon; least ways, my Penicuik bees are not going down this road (yet).