This one may seem like a dumb question

[VanBeek in MI]

Just wondering if you could feed bee's fruit juice?
There seems to be a lot of sugar in them, like white grape for example.
Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Thanks

Jim

[RayMarler]

They would probably take it but I'd be concerned about the added preservatives and artificial flavour and colourings added.

[Oldbee]

Some NEW beekeepers get these,... 'ideas',..[crazy?] I guess. I have heard [Beesource] of new beekeepers collecting soda pop cans from dumpsters and feeding their bees Coca-Cola.

What,..do you have an unlimited supply of,..'fruit juice' or something? Man,....I just read the best books about keeping bees and feed pure sugar in water and that's ALL. I don't even THINK about fruit juice, coca cola, pineapple juice, apple juice and any other kind of 'juice' to feed MY bees!!

[VanBeek in MI]

Some NEW beekeepers get these,... 'ideas',..I guess. I have heard [Beesource] of new beekeepers collecting soda pop cans from dumpsters and feeding their bees Coca-Cola.

What,..do you have an unlimited supply of,..'fruit juice' or something? Man,....I just read the best books about keeping bees and feed pure sugar in water and that's ALL. I don't even think about fruit juice, coca cola, pineapple juice, apple juice and any other kind of 'juice' to feed MY bees!!


Sorry I did say it may be a stupid question.

[Bizzybee]

oldbee seems a bit on the grumpy side tonite van. Maybe he hasn't had his glass of warm milk yet :scratch:

Better to ask the stupid question and get the answer before making the stupid mistake.

Remember most aren't going to be willing to admit they may likely know the answer because THEY didn't ask when it was their turn to ask. ;)

[iddee]

I've seen bees on watermelon, soda cans, rotten fruit, ETC. I don't think it hurts them at all. Even so, I wouldn't deliberately feed it to them. Now, the cow patties I see them on do sorta turn me off.

It wasn't a bad question, nor was it the first time it has been asked, so just keep asking before acting. It is easier to make things right that way.

[Hambone]

Like my momma always told me. "The only stupid question is the question not asked."

Oldbee does seem alittle grumpy tonight. Let me find one of my classic jokes to cheer him up.

[Oldbee]

I am GRUMPY!! so what? :)

Sorry van. I have a 'problem' with this [feeding Coca-Cola] as a sugar syrup substitute, just like others on Beesource WILL NOT treat their bees with anything than sugar dusting.
o
OK. So the bees 'collect' sugar from rotten apples or pears, and perhaps collect water from 'eeyhoo', horse urine, but that's not my problem.

[GRIMBEE]

I tried dusting. It didn't work for me so I went to formic acid:lookout:

[ScadsOBees]

So the answer...

You could. But it typically is cheaper to just feed sugar. And I don't think that anybody is quite sure what the solids in the fruit will do if you have too much in the honey and try to overwinter them on it.

I've heard stories of people feeding flavors to their bees to harvest the flavored "honey".

Rick

[dickm]

I saw a commercial bee yard that had several "totes" full of what looked like chocolate syrup.

dickm

[Michael Bush]

Here is a USDA study on the subject of different kinds of sugars:
http://www.beesource.com/pov/usda/apidologie1978.htm

Sugars with solids in them are not a good plan. Fruit juice has a lot of solids and a lot of other things in them.

[jjgbee]

Could it be pollen sub with a little to much TM? Knew one beek that thought if a little was good lots must be better. He went broke.