Hello all,
Thanks for the comments-especially the ones by Allen Dick

Bob stated>
>> The HFCS bees started dying at 6 days ( in both the 1974 & 2006 USDA-ARS 
>> tests). The HFCS bees continued to die at a greater rate than the sucrose 
>> fed bees until the end around day 29.

My comments/questions:

Allen responded in a later quote that (as he recalled)the difference in 
lifespan was about 10% on average....I take that to mean that if the average 
lifespan of a bee fed sucrose was 33 days, the average lifespan of a bee fed 
(their particular mix used )  HFCS would be be roughly 30 days.

Allens "10%"  figure is certainly PRACTICAL information that I could use in 
my deciding which/any syrup to use. You know that is not a lot of difference 
in my mind. It also makes me wonder if honey (as Bill Truesdale reported 
earlier) might turn out to produce an even lower lifespan.

An observation here: I have noticed that there are several topics-really 
fundamental beekeeping questions- that are danced around year after year, 
but lacking in definitive answers. The feeding of bees  and type of feed 
used is one of those.   I would personally love to hear of a few studies 
that were "clinchers" that contained statistically verified USABLE data more 
than a thousand generalizations and speculations.
A good example that clarifys what I am saying is the test done recently 
comparing two types of pollen substitues versus polllen. Oh how refreshingly 
clean and simple  were the results!.
I am truly grateful for the info I have recieved here, and I am aware that 
this forum is for discussuion of about any topics related to bees, but I 
would love to to see a place where some of the basic questions were 
addressed AND resolved.
Even if the tests were made with the understanding that they were only for a 
particular type of bee and environmental condition, that would be helpful to 
lay the groundwork for a truely useful database.

Now a question:
Allen, you said that you "seemed to recall a study" saying that bees fed 
sucrose were longer lived.
I certainly would appreciate any references you or anybody could point me to 
concerning the HFCS vs Sucrose vs honey.
Also, Bob, if you had a hard number concerning the average lifesspan of bees 
in the studies you cited-sure would like to see it.


As I mentioned, I have about 300 hives, and plan to go to at least 500, and 
I am raising queens that show mite resistance.

By the way,Jerry, of the roughly 1200 hives I know of in the N. alabama 
region, I think we have been spared the scourge that is currently afflicting 
beekeepers elsewhere.Treatments are Apistan mostly, followed by Coumaphous 
and possibly others. I havent treated any of mine for about a year now(nor 
do i plan to).,about 100 untreated for 2- or 3 years. My winter deadouts 
seem roughly the same as I have observed  from previous winters- from about 
3 to 10%..

John Horton

(wondering if these are windmills I am charging.....)

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