Cheap Sugar

[jalentour]

Is there a source for cheap sugar for the small sideliner or hobby group?  Sams and Kroger should not be my best alternative.

[BeeMaster2]

Do you have a procesing or prakaging plant in your area?
I talked to a beek down here that gets it in 55 gallon drums real cheap from one. He gets what is step up off the floor.
Jim

[rwlaw]

Don't know if this is too far for you, but they are in IL and were advertising .29 cents a lb at another forum.
http://www.raineshoneyfarm.com/

[flyboy]

MY opinion, but just avoid beet sugar as it is GMO. Bees are 2 expensive to run experiments on.

[yes2matt]

.40/lb at Costco

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[rwlaw]

.40/lb at Costco

Ya, that's what I just paid for the 50# bags there too.
There's a fellow near me that goes down to NC to visit family and brings back barrels from a processor and sells em for .30#, but I don't need a barrel of it and there's no quality control on sweepings. Some of those barrels looked pretty nasty.

[flyboy]

MY opinion, but just avoid beet sugar as it is GMO. Bees are 2 expensive to run experiments on.

In our area there is a code stamped on the bag that indicates where the sugar was bagged. That code identifies the source and from that you can deduce the source whether it be beet or cane sugar. We at our club assume that the beet sugar is GMO.

For instance locally we read a code that indicates the sugar was bagged in Vancouver (BC, Canada) that means it is cane sugar whereas the Calgary stuff is Likely to be GMO beets as a source. The store manager checked that for us and told us how to read the code.

[Richard M]

MY opinion, but just avoid beet sugar as it is GMO. Bees are 2 expensive to run experiments on.

In our area there is a code stamped on the bag that indicates where the sugar was bagged. That code identifies the source and from that you can deduce the source whether it be beet or cane sugar. We at our club assume that the beet sugar is GMO.

For instance locally we read a code that indicates the sugar was bagged in Vancouver (BC, Canada) that means it is cane sugar whereas the Calgary stuff is Likely to be GMO beets as a source. The store manager checked that for us and told us how to read the code.

What's the problem with sugar derived from GMO sources? Even if there was an issue with GMO (which there isn't), there is no DNA or organic material in sugar; it's a refined sucrose extract. Finding GM beet DNA in sugar would be akin to finding corn DNA in bourbon.

[HillBilly2]

Didn't know they grew either sugar cane or sugar beets in Canada. Learn something new every day.

Can the bees tell the difference?

[flyboy]

Didn't know they grew either sugar cane or sugar beets in Canada. Learn something new every day.

Can the bees tell the difference?

The sugar cane is imported and the beets come from Alberta which is the next province over the mountains. There is a refinery there and the Vancouver stuff is imported as Vancouver is a port city.

It is pretty much agreed by all the local beeks to avoid the GMO stuff. Same price why take a chance?

There is no long term studies on GMO foods, so my opinion is 'why take a chance'. It's a simple choice. Funny why some 'scientists' like to say there is no difference and so therefore why need long term studies? It's like they are afraid of science having a look behind the green door. They are afraid because there is so much money to be made keeping the head in the sand. Basically the government departments which are supposed to regulate this stuff have turned a blind eye and since fantastical amounts of money are involved, one is inclined to assume that a 'bit a scratch' has transferred hands... wink wink.

That is why I am growing as much of our own food as I can.

[Richard M]

Didn't know they grew either sugar cane or sugar beets in Canada. Learn something new every day.

Can the bees tell the difference?

The sugar cane is imported and the beets come from Alberta which is the next province over the mountains. There is a refinery there and the Vancouver stuff is imported as Vancouver is a port city.

It is pretty much agreed by all the local beeks to avoid the GMO stuff. Same price why take a chance?

There is no long term studies on GMO foods, so my opinion is 'why take a chance'. It's a simple choice. Funny why some 'scientists' like to say there is no difference and so therefore why need long term studies? It's like they are afraid of science having a look behind the green door. They are afraid because there is so much money to be made keeping the head in the sand. Basically the government departments which are supposed to regulate this stuff have turned a blind eye and since fantastical amounts of money are involved, one is inclined to assume that a 'bit a scratch' has transferred hands... wink wink.

That is why I am growing as much of our own food as I can.

Nah, I don't do Secret Government Conspiracy Theories; that would require everyone in guvmint (thousands of people) to read off the same script and no one anywhere to go blowing any whistles in the media.

If "they" couldn't even keep a sticky mark on Monica Lewinsky's dress Top Secret, I don't hold out much chance of suppressing research that shows harmful effects from GMOs, especially amongst scientists - getting them to do what you want is like herding cats.

[flyboy]

It's not a secret government conspiracy that no long term studies have been done on GMOs.

The other stuff I mentioned is some of the widely held view of why it got that way. Hunose.

Bottom line is follow what ever religion you enjoy, because without the studies it is your belief system.

[D Coates]

Buy whatever sugar suits your fancy (and pocket book).  Bottom line, there is no and has never been any difference to the bees (or us) in any reputable, repeatable, scientifically supports studies to this point.  Personally after 10 years there's been no adverse effect to my bees from the GMO sugar some decry.  But, yeah "follow whatever religion you enjoy."  Heck, there are folks that even buy the "Sugar in the Raw" because they're aren't enough long term studies of granulated white sugar and it's effects on bees.  The you've got the folks who say refined sugar of any form is unknown because it's unatural and there are no long term studies of how it affects bees.  Then, the next stage are the vegans who can't even eat honey because it "exploits" bees.

The point is, there is a sliding scale of seemingly illogical actions supported by unsubstantiated beliefs.  Personally I bought over 750#'s of beet sugar from Costco about 6 weeks ago.  Pushing that much sugar to the register does raise a few eyebrows.

[Dallasbeek]

What D Coates said.

It's all processed, refined, chemically changed, altered and unnatural.  So what?   If you want them to eat natural stuff, feed them honey.

[Eric Bosworth]

I'll second that. If you are concerned feed the bees honey. I do try to leave it for them but I like to take some as well and sugar is a relatively cheap insurance policy.

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[iddee]

Good post, D Coate.

Bees work fresh cow patties. I'm sure GMO sugar and beet sugar are much healthier.

[BeeMaster2]

Better watch out D. Those Revenuer's (sp) will be knocking on your door anyday now. 
Jim

[D Coates]

Better watch out D. Those Revenuer's (sp) will be knocking on your door anyday now. 
Jim

I was told by another beekeeper that they'd been asked if they were making moonshine when they bought 100lbs of sugar. 

I got asked if I was making wine.  I know enough of how to make wine to be dangerous but, 750 lbs of sugar, in wine?  shudddder....  It brought me back to my college days.  "What's the word? THUNDERBIRD!  What's the price? $.99 twice!"

[flyboy]

Better watch out D. Those Revenuer's (sp) will be knocking on your door anyday now. 
Jim

I was told by another beekeeper that they'd been asked if they were making moonshine when they bought 100lbs of sugar. 

I got asked if I was making wine.  I know enough of how to make wine to be dangerous but, 750 lbs of sugar, in wine?  shudddder....  It brought me back to my college days.  "What's the word? THUNDERBIRD!  What's the price? $.99 twice!"

Yikes, I recall Hermits...It tasted as bad as it sounds or maybe as bad as 'Raspberry...' yuck.

I made wine a few times and it turned OK, but the problem is that having it available made a few parties viable and the inevitable suffering that ensued was a red flag that I actually paid attention to.

[BeeMaster2]

I remember Boonesfarm apple wine.  After a big party that my sister had while our parents were away, the hang over was so bad that I didn't drink again for a long time.
Jim