Qaundries of feeding

[Zeke]

I have been wrestling ( mentally) with this question for some time.
now that fall is the same as here ,i am trying to decide what to feed a couple of the new hives i started this spring as they
need just a "little boost" to get themselves ready for winter ( in regard to feed stores).
what is the best sorce of feed to give the bees ??
i am thinking about mixing up some corn syrup
and going that route ,but i wonder about feeding them straight sugar ,but will they
they expend a lot of energy conerverting
the sugar into food for winter ??
Thanks ,
Zeke

[mark williams]

Straight SUGAR,Would be the only thing I feed them.2:1,
I'd think that corn syrup would have starch in it.>>>>MARK

[Michael Bush]

I've fed sugar syrup and corn syrup (the kind you buy in the grocery store). They take the sugar syrup up quicker. They seem to build more comb for a given volume of syrup with the corn syrup because it's more concentrated but I don't think they do it any quicker than on sugar syrup. I'd do 2:1 sugar:water syrup. Dry sugar is not taken up very quickly and may end up on the ground in front of the hive feeding the ants.


[This message has been edited by Michael Bush (edited September 03, 2003).]