LABORATORY COMPARISON OF HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, GRAPE SYRUP, HONEY, AND SUCROSE SYRUP AS MAINTENANCE FOOD FOR CAGED HONEY BEES Roy J. BARKER Yolanda LEHNER U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Bee Research Laboratory, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, Arizona 85719 SUMMARY Honey or high fructose corn syrup fed to worker bees failed to show any advantage over sucrose syrup. Grape syrup caused dysentery and reduced survival. Survival was longest on sucrose syrup, and the difference was significant. Survival on grape syrup was reduced significantly. The difference between honey and high fructose corn was non-significant (Table 1). Apidologie 9 (1978) 111-116 Free access article Bob writes: Consider *if* the research of Dr. Gregory and the research done at Tucson in 1977 by Roy Barker are correct in that bees fed HFCS live half as long as bees fed sucrose then like in both studies the bees would die in the last few weeks of life. A similar situation to bees with nosema. Sucrose fed bees lived 57 days; HFCS = 38 days; honey = 31 days; grape syrup = 13 days. Apparently the point is not that bees do worse on honey or corn syrup, but that they do better on sucrose. At least, in cages. Which is what I have always said, but the organic types don't want to hear that ! By the way, what does it mean to say "bees die in the last few weeks of life"? Don't we all? *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Access BEE-L directly at: http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L