Hi All
 
I read the post about the bridfeeder foragers with interest.
 
A while back I brewed a beer for a class competition. Our lab was
contaminated with so many bacteria that the beer began to smell foul
long before bottling, so I decided to name it 'Schitz' as it was a
Weisenbier. It smelt like it's name.
 
Anyhow, a bottle blew it's lid and so I placed it outside and bees
began to take it away!!! They drank the Schitz. So I theorized that
they must be attracted to some of the malted sugars in the bear and
placed some kelogs(sp?) corflakes in water near a hive and they ate
the cornflakes - high malt content.
 
So what I would theorize has happened is that the maize in the feeder
has become slightly wet, the seeds have released some of their
germinnation enzymes and begun to convert starch to sugars which the
bees can use, like maltose, dextrose etc. - ie malting (A bit like
the proccess used to make HFCS from maize using I think oats
enzymes??)
 
Keep well
 
Garth
---
Garth Cambray       Camdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800mm annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
On holiday for a few months     Rhodes University
Which means: working with bees 15 hours a day!
Interests: Fliis and bees
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post in no way
reflect those of Rhodes University.