What to do with all these peppermint sticks? Should I feed the girls?

**TonyGotaTruck** · 08-25-2011, 06:07 PM

I have 3 cases of Peppermint sticks and I am wondering what I would have to do to be able to winter feed if needed... Or, should I be using them now (In Alabama 100 degree highs) to feed the lil raschals...

How would I prepare them etc...

**Ted Kretschmann** · 08-25-2011, 07:05 PM

Tony, dissolve them in warm water. Let them have all they will take. Bees build up nicely on peppermint candy. I used to feed tons of the stuff when I could get it from Bob's candy cane company. TED

**Andrew Dewey** · 08-25-2011, 07:06 PM

I would not feed Peppermint sticks to my bees.

**TattooedBeek** · 08-25-2011, 08:13 PM

Don't they contain corn starch among other things that might not be so good for the bees?

**HONEYDEW** · 08-26-2011, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Dewey

I would not feed Peppermint sticks to my bees.

And why not?, Don't most beeks put honey b health and other various concoctions into their syrup to "fix" a myriad of problems.....

**Andrew Dewey** · 08-26-2011, 04:03 AM

I have used honey b healthy as a feeding stimulant - not for its reported other "miracle" properties. As for the Peppermint Sicks, the only thing about them we can assume is that they were not manufactured as a bee feed! While Peppermint Sticks may be an inexpensive source of basically sugar, I don't know enough about this batch, what it contains specifically, to want to feed it to my bees.

**sqkcrk** · 08-26-2011, 04:11 AM

But I bet you would eat one were one offered to you.

**indypartridge** · 08-26-2011, 04:40 AM

The problem with things such as peppermint sticks are the non-sugar solids. As long as temperatures are warm enough for your bees to be flying, that's not a problem. It becomes a problem when cold temps keep the bees inside and they can't leave to poop.

**TonyGotaTruck** · 08-26-2011, 09:25 AM

Ted Kretschmannis the last commercial Beekeeper in Alabama and I am sure if peppermint sticks were harmful he would know that so, I am mixing up a batch and will feed the bees. Afterwards I will ask them what they think... lol

Thanks, I enjoy all the feedback...

**TattooedBeek** · 08-26-2011, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by sqkcrk

But I bet you would eat one were one offered to you.

I'd eat a t-bone steak if you offered it to me but doesn't mean I'd slap a hunk of beef on the top bars of my hive and ring the dinner bell for the bees.

**sqkcrk** · 08-26-2011, 11:23 AM

Well, of course not. But bees don't eat meat and you do. As well as peppermint sticks. So why would you eat something you wouldn't feed to your bees? Or, why wouldn't you feed something to your bees that you would eat?

**TattooedBeek** · 08-26-2011, 11:30 AM

Just because I can eat something and so can the bees...doesn't mean it's good for them (or me). Is corn starch good for bees? Don't hard candies (peppermint sticks) often contain corn starch?

I mean really...I won't grab a cold glass of 1:1 syrup after mowing the yard even though I could if I wanted. Just because I can drink it doesn't mean I should.

**Oldbee** · 08-26-2011, 03:24 PM

"I have 3 cases of Peppermint sticks and I am wondering what I would have to do to be able to winter feed if needed... Or, should I be using them now (In Alabama 100 degree highs) to feed the lil raschals..."

It seems to me, we need a whole new area of "research" [Tax payer Federal dollars

] about the benifits/disadvantages/pitfalls of using "peppermint sticks",..maple syrup,.. warehouse broken sugar bag "sweepings",.

, coca cola/pepsi syrup,..orange juice,.grape juice,.papaya juice,.fig juice,.man juice,.apple cider,..juice,..pomaganite juice,..apricot juice,..any other kind of sugar "juice" [by the truck load

] you can think of to discover whether it is good for our bees or not. If it's cheap,,..feed it [winter and summer] to your bees and tell us [Beesource] how it turns out.

I would wait till Christmas and pass them out to all the little children on the street.

**Ted Kretschmann** · 08-27-2011, 07:20 AM

We fed over 90 tons of peppermint candy to our bees over a 5 year period. The essential oils in the sticks knocks out the mites and causes the bees to explode on brood rearing. As for the corn starch, that will not hurt bees. You will find corn starch in a lot of products-such as pollen substatute and powdered sugar. You already use those products. The only oddity about feeding bees peppermint candy is that you can tell which bees have consumed the candy=they abdomens are red in color. Peppermint candy is mostly sugar, High fructose corn syrup, a little corn starch, Peppermint and other essential oils, plus red dye. And for the Nay sayers on the post-If I could get my hands on 90 more tons of peppermint, I would buy it and feed it to my bees again. BEES LOVE PEPPERMINT SYRUP AND WILL KNOCK YOU DOWN FLYING TO THE FEEDING STATIONS TO GET IT!!!! TED