James Fischer wrote:

> This is a good point - what would happen if one removed ALL honey from a
> hive in an area with no fall nectar of any significance, and fed the heck out
> of it in August and September?  Has anyone tried this?  I can't imagine that
> either sugar water or HFCS provides the "balanced diet" that bees really need.

For over wintering, British scientists found that the best over
wintering feed was white sugar syrup which was not boiled and had no
additives. HFCS was better than honey for over wintering. The reason is
related to dysentery and keeping the bees clean, so they do not have to
go on cleansing flights in mid-winter, when there may be no opportunity.
The bee losses were not great, as I recall, using honey to
overwintering. Less than 15%, so the losses would not be noticeable, but
it would make a difference in the rate of spring buildup. In warmer
climates, you will still get bee losses but not colony losses because
the bees can fly and void in mid-winter.

There are several honeys that can lead to winter colony loss in the
North because they have high particulate content, crystallize quickly or
ferment. Honeydew is classic. I try to keep fall honey out of my hives.
The fall honey I pull is usually solid by about now or in November. Most
of my summer honey is still liquid in the spring.

I do not feed sugar syrup but overwinter on the summer honey.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME