Frosting as feed?

[tidewatcher]

Have access to a good amount of frosting leftovers from a bakery. Was wondering about feeding is as a supplement to nucs and this year’s swarms? All it contains is powdered sugar, butter and or shortening and food colors. This is the over runs for the days decorating. No Royal icing with meringue powder in it, may get some cream cheese frosting in it though. Thoughts? lol yes I am cheep.

[T152]

I would say to give it a try. If they eat it, then you've saved some money. If they don't, then it may not be good for them. The bees won't eat anything that isn't good for them.They will like the sugar and shortening part, but I don't know about the butter or cream cheese. It may be best not to get the cheese flavored one, though, it's too unfamiliar to them and I doubt they'd eat it. It's worth a shot though! Good luck, and good idea!

[Rader Sidetrack]

The bees won't eat anything that isn't good for them.

Blanket statements like this one lead to trouble!

Several native California plants have pollen or nectar that is poisonous to honeybees, which are nonnative. These include the corn lilies, death camas and the locoweeds. But those wildland species wouldn't be a major risk for urban or suburban bees. More of a problem is the California buckeye (Aesculus californica). Widely distributed west of the Sierra, this tree is often planted as an ornamental for its good looks, fragrant flowers and bold winter branch architecture.

Native pollinators like the California sister butterfly are immune to whatever toxins California buckeye flowers have that affect honeybees. Photo: Ron Sullivan / SF

http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/...es-3226596.php

Powdered sugar generally contains small amounts of corn starch, used to prevent caking of the sugar. Bees may have trouble digesting corn starch. While incidental amounts used in "sugar rolls" (the beekeeping treatment kind, not the human food kind) may not be a problem, feeding larger quanties in commercial icing as bee feed could produce unhappy results.

[tidewatcher]

beekeeping treatment[/I] kind, not the human food kind) may not be a problem, feeding larger quanties in commercial icing as bee feed could produce unhappy results.

Thanks for the warning. Thats why I said no to the royal icing. WAY to much protein in there. I would only be feeding this to nucs and small swarms to build them up for the winter. Also was going to feed it out in the open and see what happens. Not real wild about putting it IN the nucs as feed.