Hello All,
I should address most likely off list as mainly a commercial beekeeper issue
but maybe of interest to hobby.
Now is a busy time for commercial beekeepers and most are feeding bees south
of me to keep the bees alive.
today's prices for mixed sucrose is .65 (dry weight) a pound and .26 a pound
for 42% HFCS.
The head of International sugars (based in St. Louis ) says due to
production issues with beet sugar in Mexico & low corn production in the
U.S. futures are climbing higher.
Because of no honey crop in many areas of Texas and the high cost of syrup
reports are a few operations are close to closing doors.
In Texas my advice has been to feed HFCS and to move hives in daylight to
reduce the amount of mouths to feed.
My question is for beekeepers in areas of the Midwest which winter using
42% HFCS mixed with sucrose or 42% alone. Both are available from
International sugars.
I have simply told those asking I have not tried to winter bees on 42% for a
couple decades but have done so way back by adding water but not sure the
amount?
I also told those asking I have no experience with a 50/50 mix of 42% and
sucrose.
55% we can get off the tanker from Mann Lake but I do not want or need a
tanker load today as trying to reduce hive numbers.
Syrup is expensive and I had the best honey crop for my area and although
above the state average not the crop I had hoped for.
Luckily we are getting a fall flow in my area but not so south of me.
Extreme drought. My area is shipping semi after semi of hay south into
Texas.
Our Temps rarely drop below zero over the winter in the area most Missouri
beekeepers are in.
Can we winter on 42% HFCS with adding water ?
Would a mix of half 42% and sucrose be prone to crystallization without
adding
water?
bob
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