Having private (gentlemen) discussion with Mike and
reading Allen's post, it appears I made myself
unclear. I DO use sugar syrup. And if I feel my bees
are starving in March/April, I WILL use sugar syrup.
And if I want fast drawn combs, I WILL use sugar syrup
also. My message is : sugar syrup may affect honey
quality, it has to be managed. Assuming it has no
impact without checks, without calculations is not
good practice, IMHO (based on my own experience).

1. The risk
Estimate (or extract) the winter honey stores left in
the hive when the first real nectar flow (dandelion
for me) is coming. Let's say, this is about 2 frames
(the ones in position 1 and 10 in the bottom box for
example, reasonnable ?). 2 caped frames, say 4kg of
sugar honey.
Let's say you do just one harvest (maximum dilution),
take your average harvest. You have a potential
content of sugar honey in your harvest. Make your own
idea according to your own practice (winter on 1 or 2
boxes, spring feeding, early apple blossom harvest,
and so on).

2.The management
Your own practice, your own risk, your own risk
management. I want early floral honey (dandelion,
raspberries, etc) also. Then I extract winter honey as
soon as it reasonnable for me. For drawn combs, hives
or nucs dedicated to this task will not participate to
the "harvest to be sold". Make your own idea

3.The cost
I have few hives for my hobby. If I had 1000 hives, my
management would probably be costly (because of spring
extraction and winter honey disposition). 1000 hives
times 4 kg equal : 4 000 kg of sugar honey. Yes this
can be more or less. Assume a 50% standard deviation,
that does not matter so much. 4000 kg times CA$5 = CA$
20 000 (double for direct sell). An intersting trace
in my pockets, all the more it would be costly to
manage it once extracted. But extraction is my
solution, there may be other solutions. As far as each
one is comfortable with his product, it is OK.

4.Analysis and enforcement
Detection limit about 5% if I understood well. That
should mean a quantification limit about 10 to 15%.
The lab may even report a higher quantification limit.
Namely, between 5 and 15%, the lab is abble to say
there is something but can not provide a precise
content, concentration will be assumed with something
like 33% standard deviation. Am I right ? So it is a
tool that should not be easy to use in court, isn't it
? I have not seen studies about C3 versus C4 in honey
nor hear any beekeeper in court for sugar honey in
honey. Does it exist ?

Anyway, I just hope each one can make his own idea
without assuming bible words too quickly.

Hervé

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