Aaron Morris wrote:
> [log in to unmask] asked about brown sugar as feed for bees.
> First, for the rest of the readers, brown sugar in the Carribean is not the
> same as brown sugar one uses in the states.  The distinction is tha
> Carribean brown sugar is simply sugar that is less refined than white, table
> sugar.  Carribean brown sugar is what is referred to as "raw sugar" in the
> states, as opposed to brown sugar that is used in baking recipes, which is
> actually white sugar with molasses added and should NEVER be used as bee
> feed.
snip
> I don't really know the answer to the question asked.  I am sure Carribean
> brown sugar has high residues that make it unsuitable for feed in upstate
> New York.  I don't know if it's a problem in parts of the world cursed with
> wimpy weather ;-)

A good reference.
http://www.beesource.com/pov/usda/abjfeb1977.htm

Raw sugar is sugar without the molasses and other impurities removed and
brown is with molasses added so the final result is "pure". There are
several stages from the pressed cane to white sugar so raw sugar can be
pretty much anything from very dark to nearly white, depending on the
molasses content.

In any case, you will have problems with it as a feed, depending, as
Aaron noted, on the location but also on the the "rawness" of the sugar.
The further you get from while sugar, the more the problems. Also adding
to the uncertainty is the method of processing and what else may be in
the raw sugar.

If you are in a location where the bees can fly whenever they need to,
the problems go down. But there will be bee deaths, usually from
dysentery. The problem is, with the more refined raw sugar, you will not
notice the deaths since the numbers are usually less than 15%. Also, raw
sugar will ferment much quicker than white. That also will kill bees.

So the answer is that you can feed them raw sugar but you will lose
bees, no matter where you are and the numbers will be greater the less
refined the cane sugar. The processing method may leave undesirable
elements that could add to the bee deaths or even poison the colony.
Also, the number and severity of the loss depends on where you are
located. In Maine, as a winter feed, it would kill off quite a few
colonies. Less as you move south. (But so will fall honey which
generally is very dark and crystallizes easily.)

Raw beet sugar is poisonous to bees while raw cane sugar is not.

So the answer is yes you can but be prepared for problems.

I personally would not no matter where I was located. If you lose up to
15% of your bees (in Maine it could be all of them) that will relate to
a greater loss in honey production so you might be penny wise but pound
foolish, since sugar is much cheaper than honey.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::