as sugar water gets old

[filmmlif]

my sugar water is getting a little old and i'm afraid it will spoil...should i remove it?
i have 5 hives and only one is hive is taking the sugar water...what do you suggest/

[Finsky]

my sugar water is getting a little old and i'm afraid it will spoil...should i remove it?
i have 5 hives and only one is hive is taking the sugar water...what do you suggest/

You don't want to make your own decision?

[Michael Bush]

If the bees aren't taking it then you don't need to be feeding them.  If the syrup isn't fermented, I'd just keep it.  A little of the black mold never seems to bother the bees any.  If it's fermented, I'd probably just throw it iout.

[Tyrone]

How long will it keep before it starts to ferment?

[wmarkjones]

Dear 'filmmlif',

You got some great feedback on this already, but I'll throw in some new stuff that I hope helps you.

1) As a rule of thumb, if your bees aren't consuming at least a gallon of sugar syrup each week, you shouldn't be supplementing them.  When there is a need for syrup, the bees will often consume a gallon per day!

2) Make sure you're using the right sugar/water ratio for your particular syrup application.  See http://www.beecare.com/Feeding/Syrup/Syrup.htm for more detail on this.

3) Keeping syrup on the hive too long not only discourages foraging (which produces better honey than syrup), but it also attracts external pests, such as ants, wax moths, beetles, etc.

4) If you have a need to quickly encourage feeding via a hive-top feeder of some kind, consider using a proven feeding stimulant such as Honey-B-Healthy.  It not only increases the rate of consumption, but does other things for your bees.  See http://www.beecare.com/DiseasesMedications/Honey-B-Healthy.htm for more information.

[Rich V]

I would say,if they aren't using it,take it out.