corn syrup stores

[p51d]

A fellow beekeeper uses corn syrup from Brushy Mountain for feeding. My feeding is pure sugar water 50% when needed before honey supers go on.

The fellow beekeeper lost a hive over the winter. One which he was feeding with corn syrup. Thinking maybe the honey super he was using for the winter might have honey, he spun it.

The extract looks like a cream color (like a cream). Never separates or looks like pure honey. You can smell a hint of honey and a honey taste.

My thoughts to him was to use it for feed as he is getting new nucs in a week to build the hives up.

There was no intent to sale it, he thought it might be honey.

Anyone have any observations with corn syrup and this type color, consistency?

[Jacobs]

Maybe Kurt will check in. I haven't had any experience with corn syrup, but he has.

[p51d]

So I was helping the new beekeeper with his new packages a week or two back so I got to look at corn syrup - which is cloudy and so makes sense the "honey" was cloudy so that solves the mystery. It will be good feed stores for the new hives.

Thanks for the group reviewing the mystery.

[Bsummitkeeper]

I've been waiting for someone to comment on this thread. I feed 2/1 sugar water in the fall until they stop taking it but have no experience with corn syrup. I know it's cheaper and have thought about it but never pulled the trigger due to reading several articles that theorize that on the commercial scale they think corn syrup may contribute to CCD. Any thoughts?

[p51d]

I feed with sugar water myself. The new beekeeper bought a ton of pre-made corn syrup from Brushy Mountain. These are being fed to new hives from packages from BM. I don't think the bees care one way or another.

Good luck with your hives.

[royl]

I use corn syrup for my hives. I get it from Triad Bee Supply (it is a better quality than Brushy Mtn). I add a little Honey-Bee-Healthy every other feeding. In my own research I found that HFCS is just as healthy as sugar and does not have any "side effects". I have heard the same CCD story but I think that is just a theory rather than a fact. Nothing that I can find points HFCS to CCD.
The nice thing about HFCS is that you just mix it with hot water, no boiling required. I have a water hose connected to my water heater and I mix it right there on the spot.

In full disclosure, I am a 1st year bee keeper.

[p51d]

the cool thing about being a beekeeper is that it does not matter if you are a first year keeper or a six year keeper. Everyone has opinions and generally they are all correct. So , corn syrup or sugar water - either seems fine. (I have an automatic sugar water system - I ask her to have it made so I can feed my bees)