Is boiled syrup really poisonous

[ppattrsn]

I have read in a couple of places that you shouldn't allow the sugar water to boil when making syrup because boiling will make the syrup poisonous to the bees. Is this true? Isn't the extra heavy syrup boiled when making candy boards?

[Oldbee]

I am not an expert in chemistry but the word to consider here is,... caramelization; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization#Caramelization_temperatures (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization#Caramelization_temperatures).

What I read is the caramelization of sucrose [to make syrup] is 320 degrees F. In the process of heating water and sugar to make fondant, I believe the temperature is around 238-240 degrees F. It's the caramelization from burning the sugar syrup that is bad for the bees to ingest. If a beekeeper "boils" the water for a short time and then removes it [or shuts off] from the heat while adding the sugar, there is little danger of caramelization. Hope that's right! :rolleyes:

[PCM]

Betty Crocker were are you ?

Actually if you boil sugar water it is necessary to stir, stir, stir continusally, You know, that's just how sugar candy is made ?

Don't stir boiling sugar water and it will BURN or carmalize, bad taste, I won't eat it and bees wont eat it.

PCM

[KQ6AR]

There have been some resent articles on heating HFCS causing problems to humans & bees. It was temps below boiling.

If you do a search on hfcs you will get some leads.

[SwedeBee1970]

PCM is on to something here. Like most animals and insects, bees have certain instincts about poisonous substances and avoid them.

[franktrujillo]

I boil the water in a tea kettle when it whistles turn off after 15 sec.remove from heat place in container.add surgar while stiring till all dissolved and very little granules starting to form.That's my 1:1 if i want more than that i add till i get the desired thickness i want.The problem i have is if i put feed in hives i get tons of ants.When i put feed outside of hives they start robbing behavior fighting breaks out. My first hive just died on inspection seems that my first itall/ hive due to loss of queen.late in the season so i left hive open the bees that was left merged into other hives in yard.:popcorn:

[hemichuck]

I had a feeder board on top of my hives and when the ants would get in there my wife would put cinnamon in there and the ants would leave.She used to sprinkle it around on the ground outside the hive to deter the ants from going in.It works.

[Gene Weitzel]

Actually, boiling sugar water is beneficial for the bees if it is done right. Add a small amount of lemon juice and boil, stirring constantly for about 20 minutes. This will "invert" the sucrose turning a percentage of it into fructose and glucose. It also makes the syrup less apt to crystalize and gives it a longer shelf life. Personally, I think it is too much work if you are feeding a lot of hives, but it may be worth it for the hobbiest who wants to pamper his/her bees.

[Jeffzhear]

I boil the water, then add sugar in the concentrate I want, depending on the time of year and then let it cool.....then I feed it to my honeybees.