Stan:
This is a good question. There is no much info specific to bees. The water produced from digestion is known as physiological water. It can be used In the body as needed. Bees as some other insects can regurgitate some of this water mixed with enzymes to dilute and facilitate getting the sugar.

Bees in general can conserve water by recycling their water through rectal pads that will absorb water from the rectum before discharging   and keep it in the body.  They also Urinate using a special organ execrating  uric acid. This molecule does not have water. Another form of water conservation that is used by bees.

The atmospheric moisture in the hives is poorly understood. Having bees in hot dry climate, it forces bees to collect water for reducing heat and keep moisture in the hives. In northern climate where I am at in Canada bees rely heavily on the physiological water to keep moisture in the hive.

How much used for facilitating diluting sugar we don't know. We know bees can't survive on canola honey due to being hard. Despite too much canola honey stored in hives bees die from starvation. Therefore we feed sugar syrup of high fructose syrup that stays liquid through winter.

Good question.

First day to snow here in Edmonton. Welcome to a loooong winter.....

Time to go to winter few 5 frames of bees nucs  outdoors to see if they can make till spring...

Medhat Nasr
Edmonton Canada


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