Hi Chris,
 
    The bees are doing fine in Europe as in many other parts of our world
for millions of years without any refined sugar.
 
    Their anatomy is prepared to support long winters.
 
    If this wouldn't be the case, they wouldn't survive until now, isn't it
my friends?
 
    On the other hand, here in Romania, we have always in winter
(January-February usually) a couple of warm  days which are enough for the
bees to make their cleansing.
 
    Somebody may think that the bees needs in winter only "energy" and for
this reason sugar is just fine...
 
    In order to give energy, warmness for example, not only dynamic
energy, a cell or a group of cells needs also enzymes, vitamins, trace
elements.
 
    Refined sugar has NOTHING from the above mentioned elements my dear
friends... and it is a "foreign" substance (a "non-self" if you want)
from the evolution point of view.
 
 
    Kind regards,
 
    Stefan.
 
:-))