Allen said:
All that is necessary is to add ~10% of the estimated volume in
*sterile* water before filling.

A assume you only mean  water from a potable water source . Surely you do
not mean distilled water or similar product?

Allen said:
The agitation of pumping mixes it just fine.

I wondered about the areation method we were told about as we

have added water first before and not had a mixing problem *if*

added before pumping or during pumping. During pumping worked best but you
have to guess at the volume added.

The beekeepers said if we didn't the water would not mix and freeze over a
cold winter.

They never said if freezing by not using the areation had happened

or they just *thought* without areation freezing would happen.

Allen said:
55% is the good stuff IMO.  Never used the other.  I hear 42 is OK in warm
climates.

We can get the 42 at two different locations in Kansas but pricing is about
the same as 55% so the 55% off the tanker is a better value for us. The bulk
suppliers only want to fill totes so many small beekeepers get syrup from
us.

Allen said:
Don't buy any off-spec HFCS.

The problem is we get the *off spec* free of charge. What we get is usually
of a less percentage than 42% which we feed in spring when bees are flying.
We have been getting the scrape for many years and the plant knows which
syrup can be fed to bees and which can't. Never had a problem.

Allen said:
 There was a big suit over that in Western Canada a few years back.  Don't
know if it was ever settled, but the problem was cheap off-spec product sold
as bee feed.

I remember the problem .The plant we deal with has only one product which
can not be feed to bees (they tell us) and it is so thick that it is easily
spotted in drums. Another beekeeper which used to take care of the scrape
account did get a couple drums years ago by mistake but brought the drums
back to the plant.
You can never get away from human error!

Before the list turns on us for using scrape fructose realize we have saved
thousands of dollars by using the scrape fructose!

The same for freight damaged cane  sugar. I have bought and fed many
drums/pallets.

bob

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