>Dear Bee-L'ers:
>
>    As you know from previous discussions on the list, we feed whatever we
>can get the cheapest, and we are always looking for bargains.  We've used
>granulated sugar, brown sugar, confectioners sugar, corn syrup, sucrose
>syrup, hard peppermint candy, Nestle's Quick, you-name-it.
>
>    Well, we just had a wreck upstate and we went up and bought a
>tractor-trailer load of NutraSweet at salvage prices.  We've been really tickl
>ed at the bargain brought about by someone else's misfortune, but then we got
>to thinking:  Will NutraSweet hurt the bees?  Anybody with any experience, or
>would like to comment?
>
>[log in to unmask]
>Dave Green            PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC   29554
 
 
 
Nutrasweet is a tripeptide (made of 3 amino acids).  It was designed to
bind to your tastebuds and think that you are eating something sweet.  It
is not a carbohydrate (like sugar) and will not suffice as a supplemental
feed for your bees.  It is probably equivalent to feeding them water!
 
David Bernard                 email address:  [log in to unmask]
NIH, NCHGR
BLD 49, Room 4A83
(301) 496-3798