I doubt if there is one beekeeper who would disagree that natural sources
(in general) are good for bees and straight sugar syrup and pollen subs are
not.... but.

They are not for continued use but for specific circumstances, namely
spring build-up and winter feed. In the first case you will not have
natural sources until they arrive on scene and then you have lost time in
building up the colonies.

For winter feed, many studies have shown that sugar syrup is better for
overwintering than honey for a variety of reasons including the bees live
longer, which is opposite the findings of the study. But then, the issue is
one studied apples and the other oranges.

Another problem with exclusivity in diet is that it just does not exist in
our world since syrup and pollen substitutes are supplemental to pollen and
honey already existing in the hive.

But the study does open up the marketing possibilities for vitamin
supplements for bees.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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