Quession about sugar for Michael Bush, or volunteers

**beepowers** · 08-07-2012, 02:57 PM

With the "dearth" on here in Charlotte, NC area, I'm doing a bit of feeding to the cut-outs and small swarms I've brought home. At M. Bush's presentation to Mecklenburg County Beekeepers on 8/5 he mentioned how different the ph of sugar is to honey. On Monday, I talked with a chemist about adding citric acid to sugar, and he suggested that lemon juice would be an easier way to achieve the ph change, but he was not sure how that might affect the sugar and the bees. Does Mr. Bush or any of you have thoughts and/or experience with this?

**D Coates** · 08-07-2012, 03:10 PM

I've sometimes added a splash of vinegar but for the most part I don't think of changing the PH or mess with it.

**mgolden** · 08-07-2012, 04:11 PM

Can't give you a scientific reply or a specific ph, but I add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a quart.

Because my wife adds one tablesppon to each quart of tomatoes she cans. If nothing else, it should help reduce mildew growth and molding in the bee feeders,

In canned tomatoes, the lemon juice changes the ph enough so that canned tomatoes don't spoil. Have tasted the sugar syrup/lemon juice mix when I was making fondant and it gives a slight lemon taste.

**Acebird** · 08-07-2012, 04:58 PM

Grow heirloom tomatoes and you don't have to add the lemon juice for canning. My mother did not put lemon juice in her canned tomatoes and all six of us are still living. Because it is now customary to put lemon juice in canned tomatoes I can't get my wife to try it without even though we grow heirlooms.
Beepowers, is the dearth normal or a result of a drought? Did Michael Bush say anything about the beneficial benefits that the PH would give the bees or was it just a comparison?

**squarepeg** · 08-07-2012, 05:16 PM

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoursim...tm#naturalfood

this may be what you're looking for. it is a link to a page on mr. bush's website.

i have tried the vitamin c, (ascorbic acid), and so far no problems with feeding or robbing frenzies.

**Adam Foster Collins** · 08-07-2012, 05:31 PM

I add a splash of organic lemon juice to my 5lbs of sugar brew.

Adam

**Michael Bush** · 08-09-2012, 11:37 AM

When I tried vinegar it set off robbing frenzies. I use Ascorbic Acid. 1 gram (1000 milligrams) of Vitamin C per gallon of syrup seems to work fine. I have not tried lemon juice. Since there is some citral I would be afraid of a similar reaction to the Honey Bee Healthy (lemograss oil is similar to Nasanov).

**beepowers** · 08-09-2012, 02:43 PM

Michael, thanks, I'll give it a try. FYI, I've used a tsp or lemon juice per quart and all has been quiet. WJP

**G Barnett** · 08-09-2012, 09:50 PM

So, does lemongrass oil create robbing if it is put in sugar? Or does it only act as an attractant for the bees in that specific hive? Is it a beneficial oil to the bees if put in sugar?

I have only used it to help the girls find my water source.

**Michael Bush** · 08-10-2012, 09:29 AM

>So, does lemongrass oil create robbing if it is put in sugar?

In my experience it set off massive robbing.

**delber** · 08-10-2012, 01:13 PM

Lemongrass and HBH will set off robbing unless you feed every hive, however the hives that take it faster will then seek out the others so I have stopped using it to feed inside a hive. I'll use it if I'm feeding open because when it runs out for 1 it runs out for all of them. I just make sure that I feed far enough away from the other hives.