Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => NATURAL & ORGANIC BEEKEEPING METHODS => Topic started by: Rabbitdog on February 05, 2008, 07:35:45 am
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In the 08 MANN LAKE catalog on page 50 near the bottom of the page, it reads "(never to be confused with confectioner's sugar, i.e. powdered sugar donut, which can harm your bees).
Is this true or just a sales gimmick for their "special" powdered sugar. If so, shame on you MANN LAKE!
thanks
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The powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar) you buy at the store has corn starch in it to keep it from clumping. It's been said the the corn starch isn't good for the bees. My mentor recommended putting granulated sugar into a food processor an pulverizing it. That works, but you have to use it right away or it will form into one solid mass.
In my experience, the store-bought confectioner's sugar hasn't hurt the bees. It's easy, convenient and reduces my mite counts.
In a perfect world, maybe I wouldn't give my bees something with corn starch in it, and maybe I wouldn't let my children eat Captain Crunch for breakfast....
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Yeah, you don't want to "feed" the bees powdered sugar, the starch will cause digestion problems. This won't hurt them in the summer when they can fly, but will cause dysentary in the winter when they are cooped up.
Dusting is usually done when they can fly, and I don't consider this feeding since there is only a couple of cups of sugar per hive.
It depends on what they are marketing the sugar for...if it is sugar for syrup that is easier to dissolve then they are right on. If it is for dusting, then I'd say it was somewhat disingenuous.
Rick
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Simple. Buy organic confectioners sugar with no corn starch.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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>Is this true or just a sales gimmick for their "special" powdered sugar. If so, shame on you MANN LAKE!
It's true if you're FEEDING the sugar. It's not true if you're just trying to dislodge mites.
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Fantastic question. I was wondering about that myself in regards to the powdered sugar shakes.
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The corn starch works as well as the powdered sugar in dislodging the mites so it is not a real factor when used as parasite control--so does flour and talc. If feeding then get the commercial confectiioners sugar. I do not recommend using flour or talc just pointing out (again) that any inert powder will work for mite control.
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And of course you dont recommend the use of any ole thing do you -the flip side is dried out and dead larvae -but i guess that is in a way mite control :) RDY-B :lol:
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I think Mann Lake's point was for the purpose of making grease patties for Tracheal Mites or extender patties (no longer recommended by any of the experts) for American Foulbrood.