----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Harrison" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology" 
<[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 1:15 PM
Subject: HFCS (was candy Boards


>> We did not
> wish to use corn syrup as we have some question about all corn syrup
> processes being good for bees.
>
> Wise choice! Commercial beekeepers started to have problems after feeding
> HFCS a few years ago which prompted the HFCS research done at Weslaco Bee
> lab and described by me in an ABJ article.
>
> Just when we thought we might be getting close to finding out what was
> different now ( as many of us had fed HFCS for decades) the Weslaco 
> research
> plug was pulled and the HFCS research was sent to Tucson Bee lab. I 
> pressed
> the lab to see if the lab had found a problem. The labs
> email said they would be announcing a very interesting finding before 
> long.
> That was eight months ago and silence.
>
> One has to remember that HFCS is in many many foods and drinks and its use
> as a bee feed is small compared. Releasing mercury findings to beeks would
> have caused a media stir as people consume the most HFCS.
>
> Then a friend called a few beeks ago and said to turn on the news. Guess
> what? Mercury found in HFCS. Then we find out the industry was selling 
> HFCS
> with mercury in the product at the same time we were having problems. The
> new story said the corn industry was told to eliminate all mercury from 
> its
> process back in 2005 but guess what mercury is still being found.
>
> Now I do not know the Mercury levels or if the level is really a serious
> health concern for people but even very small amounts could possibly 
> effect
> bees especially with "feed lot" type feeding practices.
>
>
>
> bob
>
> 

*******************************************************
* Search the BEE-L archives at:                       *
* http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l *
*******************************************************