# What to feed



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

The healthiest is the most natural - nectar and pollen foraged naturally.
I have never heard objections to feeding sugar syrup. 
High Fructose Corn Syrup HFCS is criticized frequently because of the source GM corn, or the production process and by-products, or the stigma associated with HFCS that would make them change the name to "corn sugar" to avoid the criticism.


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## WXBEE (Feb 10, 2012)

1 to 1 for the mix?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Thick syrup is stored, thin syrup is used for brood and wax production. 1:1 is in the middle, 1:2 stimulates production.


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## Desert Viking Ranch (Mar 1, 2011)

If I may quote Michael Bush:



> I use Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and add it to the water when boiling before the sugar. I use 5 grams to five gallons of 5:3 syrup. I get the same pH as honey, less spoilage than plain syrup, less mold and no robbing frenzy like the vinegar.
> 
> The bees may not care what the pH is but AFB, EFB, Nosema and Chalkbrood all do. They reproduce much better at the pH of syrup than the pH of honey.


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> ...I have never heard objections to feeding sugar syrup. ... High Fructose Corn Syrup HFCS is criticized frequently because of the source GM corn, or the production process and by-products, or the stigma associated with HFCS that would make them change the name to "corn sugar" to avoid the criticism.


If no good nectar flow is on, 1:1 pure-as-the-driven-snow cane (*not beet*) sugar and unfluoridated water (boil it first) is fine for establishment of packages. Captured swarms are probably best left unfed -- they might know more about local forage conditions than the average joe.

*HFCS *is a synthetic sweetener that is often contaminated with indigestible sugars and vat by-products. Also it can be loaded with *HMF*, a bee-toxic breakdown product of fructose in solution, especially if old or overheated.

You don't have to be a greenie or organically-minded to recognize HFCS (aka "corn sugar") as an industrial artifact with no place in the food chain, honeybee or human. Shun it!

/A

NB when I heard of the latest deceit of the Corn Refiners' Association in redubbing HFCS to "corn sugar", I was at first confused, because that latter term had long been used in brewing to refer to maize-sourced *dextrose*, which if produced properly should contain zero fructose. Go figure.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I've been feeding beet sugar for decades with no ill effects. But times change and beets seem to have changed as they are now Monsanto's Roundup Ready GMO beets and Neonics seem to be used now on beets. So I don't know the effects of those. 1:1 sugar is not as good as honey, but it's pure (no extraneous solids) and that is important. It's also readily available.


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## WXBEE (Feb 10, 2012)

Thanks all for the advise. Will likely take the "Bush" approach. Ideas on where to get the Vitamin C to use? Certainly not Tang... I mean.. it's not a moon shot! 

Side note, I purchased Mr. Bush's book, the hard copy, on Amazon.com. Aside from the wealth of information, it looks good in my library! Snazzy!

Oh yeah, in NC. Getting back into the bees after 30 years. Man has it changed. Wow.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Ideas on where to get the Vitamin C to use? 

I bought the 1000 mg tablets from Sam's Club.

>I purchased Mr. Bush's book, the hard copy, on Amazon.com. Aside from the wealth of information, it looks good in my library! Snazzy!

Thanks.


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