"Bogansky,Ronald J"   "Feeding sugar, too keep bees alive in a dearth,
getting them started in Spring, or to draw some comb is not a bad practice
and should not be constantly challenged as poor beekeeping.  If a small
amount of this "man made" honey gets into the beekeeper's final product it
would have to be a such a trace amount, probably equivalent to the garbage
can bees, that even discussing it is ridiculous. "

I thought this thread had run its course but this post is disappointing as
it suggests we have not advanced an inch.
Feeding sugar to draw comb IS a questionable practice and whenever
publically recommended it SHOULD constantly be challenged as potentially
dangerous to the interests of ALL beekeepers. How can Ol Drone seriously
claim a only trace amount could get into the final product - and it is
ridiculous to discuss it -when only when we had a post on 2 Dec recomending:
""Unfortunately, many hobbyists do not know how to get foundation drawn
properly, ......  Briefly, do either:
1.  .......
2.  Feed, feed, and more feed.  Use a top feeder (not a Boardman or a  frame
feeder) and either 55% corn syrup or a sugar water mixture of 2 sugar to 1
water.  Feed until the entire super is drawn and is started to be capped.
If you want a hive to draw more than one super of foundation ..... plan on
doing it by feeding.  .......
For all hobbyists, I recommend feeding as it is mightily discouraging to
find a super that has all 9 or 10 frames only 2/3 finished as the flow quit
too soon for the bees to finish.""

It is specifically addressing this advice to hobbyists that really makes my
blood run cold.  Posts on Bee-L have been very helpful in showing the
expertise that professionals employ - and the care they have to take not to
damage entire shipments to packers. But hobbyists are another matter - in
general they have insufficient training and knowledge, only few checks or
inspections - so very great care is needed on the  advice that is publicly
available. In UK we have at most 500 professionals and so the other 22,500
are more like hobbyists , that's 97% of all  UK beekeepers.    Maybe the
situation is quite different in other countries - tho it has been said the
USA is no so differtent for one.

A hobbyist who fed, fed, fed more,  with supers on,  thru a short honey flow
would end up with so much sugar honey in the crop that it ought to be
regarded as unsaleable. At the least, any such advice ought to have a risk
warning attached.

Are Herve and I really so alone in this list?

Where I do now agree with Ol Drone is that the meaning or contamination is
shifting and it is too strong in this context.  'Dilution' of floral honey
with sugar honey might be a better description - accurate and less
inflammatory - but still a worry !  And IMHO far from ridiculous as a topic
for Bee-L to discuss!

Robin Dartington

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