# Candy canes as bee food



## katmike (Apr 29, 2005)

Can I feed the bees candy canes that were Christmas left-overs? We have all flavors, not just the traditional red/white striped peppermint. I've already been feeding several of my lighter hives granulated suger, so I was thinking of trying it.


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## phil c (Jan 21, 2007)

I wouldn't. I dont known about the artificial flavors, could be something really bad for the girls.


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

Not advisable during cold weather when they're clustered. Candy canes (any hard candies) contain starches and solids that the bees can't digest. During warm months, when they can leave the hive freely to void themselves, it may not be a problem. But if they're confined to the hive and can't leave to poop, it becomes a problem.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

Sunday, 20 February 2011

I knew a bee man that would buy the "old" candy canes in Oakland Calif. in large lots and feed them to his bees.

Ernie


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## TonyGotaTruck (Jan 29, 2011)

Im new so just slap me around a little bit please. My sister gave me several cases of out of date french vanilla liquid creamer' nestle mini choclate [for baking] and powdered dark choclate flavored cocoa mix.
Any chance I can use any of this once I put bees in the hive?


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## Beetrucker74 (Oct 10, 2010)

katmike said:


> Can I feed the bees candy canes that were Christmas left-overs? We have all flavors, not just the traditional red/white striped peppermint. I've already been feeding several of my lighter hives granulated suger, so I was thinking of trying it.


I work for a guy that got candycane in totes by the tractor trailer load. We would break it up by driving over it with a loader. Put it in barels then filled with water to dissolve. only used it when done with honey cause it will flavor things peppermint and tint it red for a time. He told me that the peppermint helped with mites which I beleive to be true cause they had no trouble with mites but did have a foul brood epidemic.

Tony sorry but the stuff you have will tear up a bees gut so you shouldn't use it. And cocoa has no suger in it.It is just ground cocoa with the butter pressed out.


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

I heard the Candy cane was OK as long as the Beek is good with corn syrup 
It was said some of them are made with either corn or cane syrup? 
The spearmint is good as stated above for mites.


Tommyt


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