Sugar water and mold

dfizer · September 17, 2012, 03:27:47 PM

Is there any easy way to keep mold from growing in the sugar water? Please advise.

Finski · September 17, 2012, 04:04:07 PM

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The syrup container must be clean. Mold does not grow in pure syrup.
Syrup gets some dirty, like a dead bee or a piece of grass.

Over 50% syrup stops mold growing and fermenting but the surface gets condensation water from cover and surface starts fermenting. ...fermenting forms more water. .. Keep the syrup on hive so short time that will not happen.

I get often black mold onto feeder's surface, but it is better then wash away.
One guy said that he had not washed feeders for 15 years. They are really black he said

VolunteerK9 · September 17, 2012, 04:04:56 PM

Refrigeration is what I do. I have heard of others adding either cider vinegar, citric acid or even bleach to curb mold. Higher concentrations of sugar to water such as 2:1 usually last longer against mold growth than 1:1 mixes.

iddee · September 17, 2012, 05:31:14 PM

My bees take the sugar water and leave the mold. I clean the jar when empty.

KD4MOJ · September 18, 2012, 08:02:35 AM

I do 5:3 syrup with alittle ACV thrown in. I noticed that after several weeks, I do get some of the black "wispy" mold around the top but the syrup is still good. The humming birds also tend to like this mix although alittle heavy for them.

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

Jim134 · September 18, 2012, 10:04:39 AM

Quote from: dfizer on September 17, 2012, 03:27:47 PM
Is there any easy way to keep mold from growing in the sugar water? Please advise.

1 Gallon Sugar water @ 1 Tablespoon of vinegar or cream of tartar will slow the mold down a lot.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Jim134 · September 18, 2012, 10:06:39 AM

Quote from: KD4MOJ on September 18, 2012, 08:02:35 AM
I do 5:3 syrup with alittle ACV thrown in. I noticed that after several weeks, I do get some of the black "wispy" mold around the top but the syrup is still good. The humming birds also tend to like this mix although alittle heavy for them.

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

What as ACV ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

VolunteerK9 · September 18, 2012, 11:18:10 AM

Quote from: Jim 134 on September 18, 2012, 10:06:39 AM

What as ACV ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Apple Cider Vinegar

Hemlock · September 18, 2012, 05:49:19 PM

ADD one tablespoon of 'Brags' Apple Cider Vinegar to Each gallon of Syrup.

You will not see any mold; lasts for months!

Michael Bush · September 19, 2012, 10:13:21 AM

If you boil the water it helps. If you make it 5:3 (or 2:1 if you can) it keeps longer. If you lower the pH (add acid) it keeps longer. I make it 5:3 and add a gram of Vitamin C to the boiling water before adding the sugar for each gallon of resulting syrup.

KD4MOJ · September 19, 2012, 03:07:06 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on September 19, 2012, 10:13:21 AM
If you boil the water it helps. If you make it 5:3 (or 2:1 if you can) it keeps longer. If you lower the pH (add acid) it keeps longer. I make it 5:3 and add a gram of Vitamin C to the boiling water before adding the sugar for each gallon of resulting syrup.

Very interesting Michael. Never thought of Vitamin C.

I boil myself and I do still have some sugar left in the center even after stirring about 5 minutes. Can't imagine how hard it would be to mix without boiling (5:3).

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

Finski · September 20, 2012, 03:09:00 AM

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I wonder why to put ingredients into syrup.

When you give a proper dosage to bees, they suck syrup so quickly that no mold can generate. ...and keep feeder clean.

Often guys are mad to avoid chemicals but now it is nice to feed them. When we talk about varroa, give nothing, but normal feeding, give what ever comes into mind!
- strange....

In our country thymol is popular stuff to prevent syrup fermenting.

Hemlock · September 21, 2012, 07:18:07 PM

Hi Finski,

You are correct. Much of the time Bees take the syrup too fast for it to mold. However, at some point they begin to take it much slower. This is when a Natural preservative comes in handy. No one wants to dump syrup or store the remainder over winter.

Beeks like all manner of different things. Thymol sounds like a great idea. ACV does the job well and the bees don't seem to mind. Plus there's that rumor that ACV aids against Nosema....

Finski · September 22, 2012, 01:57:25 AM

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It is sure that if you keep over a week syrup on the hive, it takes mold.
But WHY you do so. give to the hive such amount that it takes it in during 2 days.
You should learn the speed and amount

And make such dosages syrup that you need not save it to next summer.
i save flour sugar very often.

I weigh my hives with bathroom balance when 2/3 out of winter sugar has feeded.
Then some hives are full. Some need feeder box more and some need two boxes.
I bye 20 kg sugar per hive and that is amount what I should feed.

Hives have brood more or less and they do not take syrup with same speed.
They need time that brood emerge. Some take food in duringtwo days.

Pearl City Apiary · September 23, 2012, 07:32:58 PM

I have grown fond of Pro Health. Every time I need to feed I use Pro Health in the syrup. I had a few gallons in the shed all summer with most days over 100° in the shed and 5 months later the syrup was perfectly fine with zero mold.

Dumped it in some containers and open fed it.