Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Johnny on May 21, 2016, 03:45:33 PM

Title: sugar water
Post by: Johnny on May 21, 2016, 03:45:33 PM
Does sugar water 1 to 1 ratio go bad if not refrigerated.
2 gallons got left on back of pickup for 2 weeks before I found it is it still good.
It still tastes sweet.  Will bees not consume it if it is bad?
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: Caribou on May 21, 2016, 04:21:14 PM
One to one will grow mold, if no mold it should be fine.
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: iddee on May 21, 2016, 06:31:05 PM
And if moldy, it's still fine. All my feeder jars have mold in them. I only wash them in the fall to put away for the winter.
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: TALittle on May 21, 2016, 06:49:40 PM
Quote from: iddee on May 21, 2016, 06:31:05 PM
And if moldy, it's still fine. All my feeder jars have mold in them. I only wash them in the fall to put away for the winter.

What color mold? and can you post a picture?

You may want to be careful with mold in the jars when feeding bees. Once mold shows color it is sporing, those spores can cause major reactions in people and animals based on the kind of mold it is.

Then again, if it is in the genus of penicillium you could be treating your bees with antibiotics with out knowing it. lol

Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: iddee on May 21, 2016, 10:10:12 PM
Black is the only mold I have ever seen in sugar water feeder jars. It hasn't caused any visual problems in the forty years I have fed bees.
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: little john on May 22, 2016, 09:50:46 AM
Whenever I make-up a stock of syrup, I make it 2:1 or stronger, and add a capful of thin bleach to each gallon - that keeps black mould at bay.  3:1 doesn't even need bleach. Then, I dilute it to 1:1 as needed, and only feed it when there are signs it'll all be taken down fairly quickly.

LJ
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: Johnny on May 22, 2016, 09:45:20 PM
thanks everyone for info
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: Johnny on May 27, 2016, 12:09:39 AM
little john thanks for info I will start making 3 to 1 and diluting it to 1-1 ratio
thanks
Title: Re: sugar water
Post by: little john on May 27, 2016, 04:01:17 AM
You're very welcome.  You might find this thread of interest:
http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=48050

LJ