> No doubt the list will get many opinions on both sides of the discussion
> but
> until research is done we will not know for sure. In my opinion confined
> bees are more susceptible to problems than flying bees. I have fed Domino
> frosting sugar with starch to flying bees without issue but would never
> feed
> to bees in a cluster.
>
> Opinions vary in beekeeping and all I can do is give mine.
>

Mine too. Most of the studies show a measurable difference but there is a
big difference between measuring in the lab and in the field. Try and see a
15% drop in population of a springtime colony that is building up. You
cannot. So most of us who have been doing the "wrong" thing for years
because we see no difference, continue on in spite of what the white coats
see.

The real problem is that we continue to go on without knowing what could be.
That 15% decrease in spring is actually quite immense when you look at
future honey production as the key to good honey crops is springtime
population. But if we have always got 20, 40 or whatever production from our
colonies, we will never know that we could have had 75 to 120, which is what
I found when I changed my winter feed methods per George Imire's advice.
Before I changed, I thought I was fine as my averages were right in line
with all the other beekeepers in my area.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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