corn syrup for feed

[Propaniac]

Since my first hive early this spring i have been feeding the bees regular corn syrup and it seems to do the trick.... I have never seen anyone talk about corn syrup when feeding comes up... is there something i am missing on why the water/sugar blend would be better? thanks for any help
Chris

[Dwight]

I have never tried corn syrup, is it cheaper than sugar? Do the bees do well with it? Is it easy to mix meds with it? Certainly sounds easier than mixing sugar and water. Are ants attracted to it like they are to sugar water?

[The7Cs]

In short, you can use either. I suspect that for most folks, it's a decision made based on cost. If corn syrup is cheaper, you may want to use it instead.

From what I've learned there are two schools of thought on this one. Honey and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are both fructose sugars, and refined white sugar is sucrose. So with that in mind, some consider it more natural for the bees to convert HFCS to honey. Also, there are those who simply don't like using granulated white sugar because of concerns about the refinement process; they may not use white sugar at home, and can't see buying it just for the bees.

Another school of thought takes into consideration that 80% of all corn grown in the USA is geneticaly modified, and those genetic modifications have been known to alter the intestinal bacteria in those who consume it (and may be responsible in part to the marked increase in corn allergies in recent years). So some are concerned that the genetic modifications in the HFCS may show up in the honey. Organic corn syrup would be prohibitively expensive for feeding to bees.

Both sides of the issue raise questions around what we produce and sell as "pure" honey. The consumer automatically assumes that the product they are buying is 100% from natural nectar. Since we supplement with sugar water or corn syrup, it is *possible* that some honey from supplemented sources could end up in the honey we bottle for use and sale. However, I would expect this to be as likely as honey contamination from the proper use of treatments for mites and foul brood.

Since honey is considered as a preferable sweetner over both sugar and HFCS, and is purported to help alleviate allergies, I personally am more concerned about using GMO HFCS over sugar water. I have a minor concern regarding using GMO HFCS. If the genetic modifications get transferred into the honey I wonder if we might start to see an increase in honey allergies over time with an increased use of GMO HFCS as supplemnetal bee food. I honestly don't know, but even rumor of it wouldn't be good for busniess.

I also wonder if the genetic modification of the corn syrup could affect the health of the bees (since some GM technologies cause the plant to create its own insect repellant). Again, I don't know, and I'd rather not find out.

I am by no means a biochemist, and I can only parrot what we have read in our research into more natural sweetners. It is that research that has led to us using Stevia extract, experimenting with growing Stevia, and starting into beekeeping to produce our own honey.

Stevia, by the way, is another natural sweetner (native to South America), but it does not raise blood sugar at all, which makes it wonderful for diabetics.

These are probably all minor items that shouldn't garner a lot of concern, but as beekeepers we probably ought to take into consideration potential concerns of our customers, and at least be familiar with the issue in case it ever comes up. Just some food for thought.

[dcross]

<<and those genetic modifications have been known to alter the intestinal bacteria in those who consume it>>

Got any references for that? Just curious. Thanks!

<<experimenting with growing Stevia>>

I've only heard of it recently, any chance of starting a thread and sharing your experiences growing and using it? Thanks again!

[Cyndi]

I am using Brushy Mountain's Corn Syrup. This is also my very first hive, which I think is doing pretty good, I added a super to the bottom brood box the other day. I have not seen the queen, but there was a lot of activity and capped cells, only 2-1/2 frames were not completely filled.

So, back to the corn syrup, when I was picking up my packaged bees, I purchased a 5 gallon container of the corn syrup for a modest price of $17.99 and talk about convenient. Anyway, when Steve Forrest was doing an installation, while I was there, he commented that they just started using this corn syrup and was embarrassed about the way it crystalized. I was like, Oh, crap. Well, needless to say, I have been using it, if does crystalize somewhat, I just put it in very hot water and that seems to help. The bees seem to love it. I did taste of some honey that my bees were making due to having to scrap some comb off the top of the frames the other day...tasted pretty good.

I really can't understand why people say don't use raw, natural sugar. I've been using it for my hummingbirds for years with no problems..what is the big deal about Turbinado or raw sugar when feeding the bees?? Any ideas or experience with this?

[eris]

As for the genetically modified question:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/safe060105.cfm
There's tons of other good info about this but I noticed in this article the GM corn affected the monarch butterflies. I'm not raising them but that seems like even a closer link to my bees than I am (but again, not an entomologist!).

As far as raw sugar I don't know why you couldn't except maybe because of the molasses left in the sugar?

I think I read somewhere that corn syrup increased trachial mites but I don't remember if that's correct. I'll see if I can find the info tonight.

[WG Bee Farm]

HFCS comes in several grades
Typically # 55 and #42
#42 has a lower percentage of solids, and a higher percentage of water-- It can ferment quicker. I don't use this.
#55 is what I purchase. It is a higher percentage of solids (Approx. 67%) and less water. It is necessary to add 10% water to your container or the syrup will thicken and turn white.(The suppliers keep it at 95-100 degree temp. to pump it) By adding 10% water you do not have to keep it warm, and the solids are still high enough that it is less likely to ferment. I have kept totes over the winter and summer without it fermenting. I have used both sucrose syrup and HFCS and can not tell the difference with the bees.
Make sure that you buy a pure product that does not have byproducts in it. These by products will kill your bees.
Frank Wyatt

[The7Cs]

For references, you typically have to look outside the USA. There is a revolving door between the FDA and many of the companies doing the genetic engineering, like Monsanto. Thus, the FDA does not even require that GMO foods be labeled as such in the USA. Your government inaction! [sic]

Call me strange, but some of the information that causes me the greatest concern are facts provided by those IN FAVOR of GMO foods.

As an example, here's one from the Union of the German Academies of Science and Humanities
http://www.abic2004.org/download/reportongmohazards.pdf


Experimental research has demonstrated that natural barriers make it extremely unlikely that there is a horizontal gene transfer of plant DNA, e.g. from the roots of plants into soil bacteria or from the digestive track into intestinal bacteria. This contradicts speculations that recombinant DNA of a transgenic plant could be spread through the environment via bacteria. This does not apply, however, in the case that the recombinant DNA of a transgenic plant originally derived from bacteria. Such DNA sequences can be inserted into bacterial genomes by homologous recombination. A number of approved GM plants contain bacterial resistance genes against antibiotics as a selection marker, and the possibility exists that these resistance genes could be transferred to intestinal bacteria.
The report was focused on bacteria becoming antibiotic resistant from the consumption of products modified to have similar resistance, and the bacteria passing into the environment to spread. The report concluded that such a risk does not exist because the bacteria don't survive, and even then some already have a resistance to the antibiotic.

However, the report did not consider the potential interactions of genetic modifications with bacteria that have previously adapted a genetic modification from an earlier product. It also fails to consider what an increased level of consumption may result in (European citizens are very resistant to GMO products, so their saturation is much lower).

We already have to watch what medications we take on a daily basis, due to limited drug interaction testing prior to FDA approval. Just wait until we start having to watch for food interactions - except that none of it is recorded on the label for you to be able to even tell what GMO products (and which genetic modifications) you're consuming.