# Can I Feed My Bees Gatorade?



## piedmontbee (Apr 18, 2008)

I have about 4 cases of outdated gatorade that I'm about to trash. Have about 25 hives and hate to waste anything. What kind of catastrophe will happen if I just put the gatorade in a community feeder. I'm sure others have tried it because we all hate paying for sugar. Let me know why it is a moronic idea. Thanks.


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## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

Why not just drink it yourself? Does gatorade go bad? I doubt it. The date is likely just a rotational date. -james


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Sure. Go ahead. Tell us how it works out. I'm all for experimenting on others colonies.

Is there something wrong w/ it, other than the date? They only put those dates on there so people will trough it out and buy fresh stuff. When you are talking about water and food coloring and electrolytes, what is there to go bad?

And, if it isn't fit to drink yourself, why would you feed it to youir bees, especially when they should be bringing in nectar. Or has the dirth period already started in your part of GA?


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

I wouldn't feed my bees expired Gatorade, but that's just my own preference.

However, you being in Georgia, one thing to watch out for is if it is the Spring flow already and if there are beekeepers within 3 or 4 miles of your hives and if they putting honey supers on. If you feed it in a community feeder, I wouldn't think other bk's would be too pleased to be extracting old Gatorade- neither would their customers want to have it in the honey they buy. But I don't know the honey season in GA, just a thought.


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## piedmontbee (Apr 18, 2008)

nectar flow ok now; Im thinking of feeding it to them in July or august after major nectar flow. Think I will try on a nuc or something. No beekeepers around me that I know of.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

_"...because we all *hate *paying for sugar."_

The word "hate" is a pretty powerful and strong word! If you "hate" it [paying for sugar] so much, why do you even keep bees when you know you might have to feed them pure cane syrup at some time during the year?

_"Sure. Go ahead. Tell us how it works out. I'm all for experimenting on others colonies." -sqkcrk._

I'm all for that! 

Did your bees/colonies bring in *a lot* of honey last year? You could dump it on them as a reward for winning the championship. 

OK. I have to confess. Today I saw my bees, that appeared to be sucking up swamp water  about twenty yards from a stream. There were about 5-10 bees around a couple of "puddles" that were essentially dry. But, there they were, some actually fighting over "it",.so what do I [we] know.


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

a friend once said to me as a intelligence test give someone a hive of bees and see what they do with it. you may fail. good luck


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## Stacykins (Apr 26, 2011)

Gatorade is a lot more expensive than sugar. Even sold in dry form.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

_"Gatorade is a lot more expensive than sugar. Even sold in dry form." _

I have noticed [on Beesource] that there are a lot of beekeepers [new or old] all around the country that may have easy/cheap access to many, many different forms of [Pepsi, Coca cola, Mountain dew, syrup, broken bags of powdered or granulated sugar from dirty floor sweepings,..etc.] feed and or nutrients that they 'think' may be cheap and beneficial to their bees. ​


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

My bet is they won't take it. Let us know.


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## Riverratbees (Feb 10, 2010)

You never know it is for athletes let me know if they grow muscles and produce more. If I won't drink it why would I feed it to my bees.

Gonna be dumb you better be tuff. John Wayne


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Not enough sugar and too much salt...


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## Apiator (Apr 8, 2011)

Next, you can try irrigating your garden with Brawndo!


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## Heartspark (Mar 18, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> Not enough sugar and too much salt...


Its not technically sugar in it anyways. Its stevia sweetner Depending on what side of the "natural" fence you are on, its good or bad. Its sweeter than sugar so you can use less in a softdrink. The downside is that what you said is that they have to use more salt.


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## ekervina (May 18, 2009)

Heartspark said:


> Its not technically sugar in it anyways. Its stevia sweetner


Only the gatorade products labeled as "low calorie" or "lower calorie" use stevia. 

For their other products, in 2010 they started to phase out high-fructose corn syrup in favor of a sucrose and dextrose mix, so you might have to check the label.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride)
Artificial Colors
Brominated Vegetable Oil
Citric Acid
Water

They probably could use the water. Do you know what effects the electrolytes would have on a honey bee? I do not.

Wayne


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## ekervina (May 18, 2009)

waynesgarden said:


> They probably could use the water. Do you know what effects the electrolytes would have on a honey bee? I do not.
> 
> Wayne


I don't but I would venture that they probably need at least some of that stuff. Electrolytes are used for all sorts of biological processes. I'd also venture that the electrolyte balance for a human athlete is probably not the same as for bees, though...


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## NY_BLUES (May 14, 2009)

Try it, it is not the worst thing that I have heard of going into a Hive. 

Some people already feed HFCS, they need water, the sodium, potassium and cholride are naturally occuring elements in nature. The artificial color is not a problem, just look at the colonies in NYC that stored and "ripened" the cherry syrup. I am not sure about the citric acid and vegetable oil, but cant be much worse than the others. 

You may have just found a niche market for Gatorade honey. You should cut a deal with them and patent it, who knows, you may end up making a load of cash!!


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

But why feed your bees expired junk with questionable ingredients? Just because it's 'free'?


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I say fed it, the electrolytes are nothing more than salts like many keepers put in there pollen patties. the sugars wont hurt and the water wont, but what do I know every year I have a bazillion bees drinking my hot tub water and I wouldn't drink that expired or not..!!


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## DewBee (Mar 24, 2011)

Apiator said:


> Next, you can try irrigating your garden with Brawndo!


Electrolytes - it's what plants crave!


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

Bees love bleach or chlorine and I read that the chlorine is used to make sodium so 
you may bee on too something

Tommyt


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I don't think chlorine is used to make sodium, I think oceans are used to make sodium :scratch:


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## Nabber86 (Apr 15, 2009)

Apiator said:


> Next, you can try irrigating your garden with Brawndo!


It's got what bees crave - electrolytes!


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## makenya (Aug 28, 2021)

sqkcrk said:


> My bet is they won't take it. Let us know.


. They love ittt


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