# Can I feed my bees Sorghum Syrup?



## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

No,It will give them the runs


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## TonyGotaTruck (Jan 29, 2011)

Are you serious or was that a joke?


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Naw... he's not kidding. I have heard the same thing. Pretty expensive feed by the way.


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## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

TonyGotaTruck said:


> Are you serious or was that a joke?



NO do not feed Sorghum Syrup




BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

TonyGotaTruck said:


> Its all natural so, seems logical... ...


It is not natural. it has been cooked down from a plant extract that bees normally do not have access to. It contains product that they can not digest so they get the runs to pass the non-digestable products. Stay with white sugar if you need to feed.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Questions like this pop up all the time on beesource and many bee meetings. Beekeepers find floor sweepings of scrap sugar, fermented fruit juice, bulk pancake syrup, old soda syrup, expired kool-aid, puffy cans of peaches, burnt candy, day-old bakery refuse, rotted carcasses of road-kill, moldy hay...you name it. There's always some angle on saving money but it's a penny saved and dollar foolish. 

Plain sugar syrup made from granulated sucrose is close to natural nectar. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is considered by many beekeepers to be an excellent feed. There's little justification to vary from these two sources when it comes to feeding your bees.

During extreme nectar dearths, bees will rob just about anything sweet including the dumpster at the local convenience store. It doesn't mean it's good for them.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Use the sorghum on your pancakes and buy some sugar.


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

Sorry I didnt respond earlier but I think everybody else backed up what I said. Its funny what people try to save a buck. The guy that got me started in beekeeping is very knowledgable and has been keeping bees for many years but last year he decided to feed his bees some kind of a fruit juice extract or something he got for free and this spring when he opened the hives all he had was dead bees and bee poop. He did the same thing in the past with sorghum,maple syrup,and a couple of other things. Some guys just gotta live and learn and believe me I am not casting any stones because I've tortured a few bees myself. Even high fructose corn syrup can cause you problems if you get some that has been heated or tainted in some manner.You might get away with some of that stuff in the spring when the bees can get out and relieve themselves, but in the winter that can be disasterous. How many hives do you have?


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

I think Tonygotatruck did the right thing. He asked before doing something wrong, or learning the hard way. I don't feel that it was a straight saving a buck thing. I think it was more of not letting something go to waste thing. Being frugal is a good thing in my book. We should say good that you have asked instead of pounding it as a dumb idea.


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

I agree completely, it was a great question and I'm sure it was one that others wanted answered but hadnt got around to asking. Frugals my middle name and I'm a terrible packrat(not quite bad enough for Hoarders yet) so I understand exactly where he's coming from. Being the king of dumb ideas myself(or at least the crown prince)believe me,I'm not pounding anybody. Thats what I love about this forum, I've ask a lot of questions that would have been expensive or disasterous had I not ask and there are some very bright people on this sight that usually keep me pointed in the right direction.So great question and lots of great answers.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

ZOMBIE ALERT!!!

Ok I'm digging this one out of the grave cause I find myself in possession of a cane mill. And far far more appetite for risk than most. I am curious if sorghum syrup or cane syrup can be fed raw or processed low temp to reduce the factor that makes it dark (think dark corn syrup kills bees) etc. or if the only reason everyone here says OH NO is the bees gotta fly to crap, well I'm far enough south that isn't really an issue. Honestly curious, does it kill bees outright, or give them the runs in cooler states where they cant fly, or outright cause a nosema break. Hmmm I may experiment. Sugar is still probably cheaper after labor. But producing syrup as a sideline to my produce outfit seems like a good fit, seeing as how I have a small fortune in honey handling gear. And I've always had that question... Why.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Sell me the sorghum syrup.and use the money to buy cane sugar for the bees. I have no idea how detrimental it is or under what specific circumstances the super high ash content of these syrups will affect the bees. I would imagine that as a supplement during spring and summer you could get away with it, but even in NC, I don't think you should have it in your hives as a winter food source. No studies in hand, but there has got to be a good reason nobody does it, even in the South.

From a May 20, 2016 Bee Cuture article "What's for Lunch",



> In addition bees cannot tolerate sweet syrups such as molasses, sorghum syrup, light or dark corn syrup, even if diluted with water. The honey bee’s digestive system is quite different from ours.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

JWPalmer said:


> Sell me the sorghum syrup.and use the money to buy cane sugar for the bees. I have no idea how detrimental it is or under what specific circumstances the super high ash content of these syrups will affect the bees. I would imagine that as a supplement during spring and summer you could get away with it, but even in NC, I don't think you should have it in your hives as a winter food source. No studies in hand, but there has got to be a good reason nobody does it, even in the South.
> 
> From a May 20, 2016 Bee Cuture article "What's for Lunch",


Noted. I know corn syrup can be hit and miss. I really think sorghum syrup would compliment collard and turnip offerings. Just add corn bread! I know if I boil it down in this global warming weather every bee in America gonna be out robbing. Fun Fun Fun. Price wise its probably not sound versus just buying bulk sugar like you said. But it has always piqued my interest. I learned a long time ago I cant bee farm and be a carpenter. So I doubt I can play pollination gig, farm, and pretend I'm dixie crystal and expect returns.

I guess corn syrup is heavily discussed in a different thread, so I'll read/post on that topic elsewhere. But I have questions...

Thanks for your patience.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

https://www.google.ca/search?lei=zW...Fg3IEHcbSBCcQsKwBKAN6BAgCEAQ&biw=1468&bih=714

Read all about hydroxymethylfurfural and honey bees. Ash and solids content tends to be higher in sorghum syyrup too.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

i am continuing to look for answers. From May 1889 Gleaning in Bee Culture,


> While all you say is true I have known bees to take with avidity a very good article of sorghum syrup and syrup made of a pretty good article of brown sorghum sugar is taken by the bees just as well as any brown sugar for all I can see Of course they will not use it when they can get better Enough sorghum molasses has been fed however to make it pretty clear that it does not answer at all for winter stores.


I think that falls in line with my earlier statement.

here are answers to the same question posed in the 1888 American Bee Journal Volume 24, page 134


> Query 519 Will it do to feed sorghum molasses in the spring mixed with sugar Or will it do without mixing? H Iowa
> 
> Yes either way RL TAYLOR
> I have had no experience with Sorghum as a bee food HD CUTTING
> ...


Obviously there is some disagreement here. Of the ones that seem to think it is ok, they all indicate not for winter stores. There were some other comments about the economics, sorghum syrup is more expensive that regular syrup, even back in the day. Also note the names of a few of the respondants, Doolittle, Dadant, Miller, Tinker, Taylor, etc.


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

You could ship a few jugs to me! Love me some sorghum molasses!


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> Use the sorghum on your pancakes and buy some sugar.


I second that idea.Pure sorghum is getting hard to find and when you do its really expensive.Now days they say sorghum syrup but then when you read the label you find it mixed with sugar cane syrup.


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