WE HAVE A BEEKEEPER WHO FED MEDIUM INVERT SUGAR TO HIS HONEY BEES DURING THE SPRING AND FALL LAST YEAR. THE SUGAR WAS PROCESSED BY THE ACID HYDROLYSIS METHOD. SUBSEQUENTLY, COLONY LOSS OVER WINTER WAS 80-90 % AND THE SUGAR IS BELIEVED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE MORTALITY. THE LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT ACID HYDROLSIS PRODUCED SUGAR IS DETRIMENTAL TO BEES, HOWEVER, I CAN FIND NO REFERENCE TO THE SYMPTOMS OR MODE OF ACTION. ANALYSIS OF HONEY FROM CAPPED AND UNCAPPED CELLS IN THE AFFECTED HIVES YIELDED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS (MEANS): FRUCTOSE - 45%, DEXTROSE - 28%, SUCROSE - 25%. THESE FIGURES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO OUR STANDARD WHICH WAS HFCS 55 (48,28,22). THE SUCROSE, AND HIGHER SACCARIDE, CONTENT OF NORMAL HONEY IS VERY LOW (<3%) COMPARED TO THE ABOVE. THEREFORE, MY QUESTION IS, DOES THE ACID HYDROLYSIS PROCESS RESULT IN THE INHIBITION OF ENZYME ACTIVITY IN THE HONEY THEREBY PREVENTING THE BREAKDOWN OF SUCROSE. ANY COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. DICK ROGERS [log in to unmask]