> Do we have any assurance the dissolved rice paper is not harmful to bees?
If we were to bake some rice paper for spring rolls, we'd use rice flour, potato starch, and water. Nothing more is required. The commercial versions may have some sort of preservative added in some tiny amount, dunno.
People have used newspaper for decades, and while newsprint paper is pretty benign, the inks used are often very toxic. Some newspaper use soy-based ink, so you'd have to check with individual newspapers.
In sum, rice paper is sold both for human food, and as an artist's "canvas", but there isn’t one bit of difference between the two, from what I remember.
So, if it is human "food grade", could it harm bees?
They aren't going to get it wet, so it will remain a solid in their handling/contact.
This raises the far more basic question of "Do bees even actually consume newspaper, or do they just tear little bits off, and toss it aside, or take it out with the trash?" As neither newspaper or rice paper are a "liquid", I'll pick "Things Bees Don't Eat" for $800, Alex.
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