# Thinning/feeding thick corn syrup?



## Santa Caras (Aug 14, 2013)

I havent feed corn syrup so take this with a grain of salt. If you have the room AWAY from your hives than I'd try open feeding it. I wouldnt thin it with water just yet. Try it straight up and see if they take to it. Save the bees having to dehydrate it. try putting into a pan with sticks and wood and see what happens. getting pretty chilly up there so dont know how much time you have before they cluster.


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

Googled the product and found this:

"42/43 Corn Syrup is an acid converted syrup, having a pleasant sweet taste and bland flavor. It is colorless and of medium viscosity. 42/43 Corn Syrup is widely used in candies, jams, jellies, fountain and table syrups, where it imparts flavor, body characteristics and moisture retention."

And this:

"If you like to make candy apples with a scratch recipe, then you'll need this 43° Baume Corn Syrup. This is by far the easiest way to use corn syrup when you use a scratch recipe."

That still doesn't tell me how to use it as bee feed, but hopefully you all can help me with that.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Acid converted syrup is a very good way to kill honeybees. You want enzyme converted syrup for honeybees. 

Jean-Marc


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

If there's anyone whos advice I would adhere to on this, it would be Jean-marcs.


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

jean-marc said:


> Acid converted syrup is a very good way to kill honeybees. You want enzyme converted syrup for honeybees.
> 
> Jean-Marc


YIKES! Why is that?


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Id say it would be better to use in spring than fall. 

If I were you, id cut my losses and dump it out!


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

craigs list it and use the money to buy sugar.


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

Ian said:


> Id say it would be better to use in spring than fall.


So it is safe to feed?


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## mbevanz (Jul 23, 2012)

High Fructose 55 is what you would want to feed bees with. It is what is used to sweeten soda pop and such.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I dont have any experience with acid converted syrup...id take the general assumption that this syrup will harm you hive if fed for winter feed. Now for spring, lets get some further input on this. As far as I understand, acid converted syrup leads to a digestibility issue with bees, and they will need to void more often. Kinda like they have the ****s...


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

Ian said:


> As far as I understand, acid converted syrup leads to a digestibility issue with bees, and they will need to void more often. Kinda like they have the ****s...


Ok, thanks. I will hold the buckets for now and wait to hear about their use for spring feed. I sure am glad I didn't feed out all that syrup before asking! Thanks again


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

It is a digestibility issue and my understanding is avoid it at all times. I do not know the specifics of it though.

Jean-Marc


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Fishman43 said:


> Ok, thanks. I will hold the buckets for now and wait to hear about their use for spring feed. I sure am glad I didn't feed out all that syrup before asking! Thanks again


Sell sell sell. Dont even try feeding it to them. They are worth much more then syrup.


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## davidsbees (Feb 22, 2010)

The only difference between 42 and 55 is the percentage of fructose. 42 is 42% fructose the rest is glucose and a small amount of other sugars most companies use enzymes to convert glucose to fructose. Most of the syrup I get have a very low PH.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

Perhaps a test is in order? The syrup can be diluted with water, a little heat or hot water will make it easier if it is cold or extremely thick syrup. Do you have some queen cages lying around? Cage up some workers and feed half of them diluted corn syrup and the other half sugar syrup and see what happens. 

Personally, I prefer feeding sucrose for wintering bees, so Ian's advice of holding it till spring feeding is good advice.


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