Randy said: 
There are lots of changes in the hive during winter.  To suggest without
further evidence, and no controls, that the sucrose feeding was the cause 
of
some effect may be rather specious.  I'm waiting for some actual data 
before
I give this claim credence.

One more question, how can bees survive in the Canadian Prairies where 
feeding sucrose is essential for surviving long winters? In fact in our 
region,Alberta Canada we need to take out most of canola honey and replace 
it with sugar feed. Canola honey crystalizes and becomes not accessible to 
bees for feed during winter. Therefore, bees can starve if it winters on 
canola honey.  Alternative theories:
1. This type of bacteria is not needed for bees to survive
2. There is enough bacteria in the bees to get them through winter 
although they are fed sugar syrup.
3. Having sugar syrup and honey in the hives at the same time might 
provide enough environment for this type of bacteria survive and help 
bees.

Colony environment as a unit is different from testing individual bees. 
Therefore, generalization sometimes does not explain what happen at the 
colony level in real life.


 


medhat



Medhat Nasr, Ph. D.
Provincial Apiculturist
Crop Diversification Centre North

17507 Fort Road
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5Y 6H3
Tel: (780) 415-2314    Fax: (780) 422-6096
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm