In a message dated 17/08/04 18:27:29 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<Actually, the study was a British one. Nothing to do with the  US, just
the relative influence of different winter feeds on honey bee  longevity.
Honey was the worst, sugar syrup the  best.>>

    Yes, but what strain of bee? We have loads of  ill-adapted hybrids here;
what I haven't seen (and if anyone's aware of such a  thing, I'd be very
grateful to see it) is a similar study done with well-adapted  native bees. If such
bees really have problems getting through a hard winter on  feed with a high
solid content, then I find it very hard to see how they could  survive in the
wild, either in heather districts, which tend to have hard  winters, or on
honeydew in some forested continental areas, which again tend to  have hard
winters.

    Regards,

    Robert Brenchley

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