> Looking at New England Aster.
>

Recognizing that not all Asters are the same, the Aster we have here in
Maine granulates quickly and is a poor winter feed. However, it tastes
great.

From MAAREC (maarec.psu.edu/pdfs/FALL_MGM.PDF)

The quality of winter food is of considerable importance. Thin
> or unripe honey gathered from wild asters in late fall also cause
> dysentery if the bees are unable to properly ripen the nectar due
> to cold weather. Aster honey, a common regional fall honey
> source, also crystallizes very rapidly, which can prevent the bees
> from moving it into the clustering space or can cause them to
> starve if they are confined without water-gathering days in the
> early spring (bees use water to reliquify crystallized honey).
> Feeding syrup in the fall can help to improve or correct this
> situation.
>

The unripened honey can ferment, which also causes problems.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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