Ambrosia Or Sugar Syrup

[Winker]

Which do you feed your bees on Ambrosia Or Sugar Syrup? Do you think the Ambrosia is better having glucose and fructose in it?

 

[Mike a]

Bought a load of Apinvert last year, it was taken down quickly and the colonies pulled through nicely. Only issue there was plenty remaining in the brood frames due to the temperatures being extra cold.

Took a fair bit of frame juggling giving it to new colonies and splits to prevent it from being mixed with the spring flow. I will buy some more but only feed it to those colonies that are light on stores.

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Neither (if I can avoid it).

I leave them with a super of honey, and they seem perfectly able to cope on their own.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Over the years I have only fed good cane sugar as syrup, I have never needed to feed all these foods that the suppliers now keep advertising and for you to spend your money on. Just feed adequately in the autumn if required and then leave them alone until the following April.

 

[Chris B]

Well I've used Ambrosia and mixed my own syrup. The bees seem to manage perfectly well on either, but the convenience of ready mixed syrup is a big plus for Ambrosia. You can also get away with a slightly later feed with Ambrosia as it's pretty much honey concentration already so less work for bees i.e. they don't need to drive off moisture.
I'm waiting for quotes to come through before making decision for this year, but so far best price for bulk sugar is 80p/kg. Last year Ambroosia was .73 euro delivered in bulk.

 

[For want of a better word]

Neither (if I can avoid it).

I leave them with a super of honey, and they seem perfectly able to cope on their own.

BUT a super could net you ££££s

sugar at 82p a 2.2 lb bag and honey at up to £5 a lb it seems it is worth extracting the honey and messing around with Millar feeders etc etc

what do bees prefer????

​

 

[madasafish]

Tesco sugar is £1.22 /2 kgs.. (last week £1.34)..

61p /kg according to my sums...

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Chris,
Please do let us know what you decide and if you use Ambrosia what your source is. I've been thinking of making the switch from sugar to Ambrosia this year....

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Tesco sugar is £1.22 /2 kgs.. (last week £1.34)..

61p /kg according to my sums...

That all depends on if you can get Whitworth cane sugar. Tesco's seem to be indulging in a bit of product substitution at the moment..

 

[Winker]

I am thinking of going the Ambrosia route I can get a 12.5Kg Jerry can for £16 through the BKA, i was thinking that 1 Jerry can would be enough per hive. Thats not far off the price of sugar.

 

[Ellem]

Tesco sugar is £1.22 /2 kgs.. (last week £1.34)..

61p /kg according to my sums...

That all depends on if you can get Whitworth cane sugar. Tesco's seem to be indulging in a bit of product substitution at the moment..

Tate & Lyle for the same price at ocado/waitrose! (Had to check twice as I've always thought them to be at the higher end of the price scale)

 

[adrian wilford]

i understand bookers cash and carry do 25 kilo sacks of sugar and will sell to beeks, just need your membership card

 

[BBG]

i understand bookers cash and carry do 25 kilo sacks of sugar and will sell to beeks, just need your membership card

Never known Bookers to be cheaper on anything

 

[madasafish]

I am thinking of going the Ambrosia route I can get a 12.5Kg Jerry can for £16 through the BKA, i was thinking that 1 Jerry can would be enough per hive. Thats not far off the price of sugar.

hmm
£1.28 per kg... Same price as sugar? If you mean double, then yes...

 

[Winker]

hmm
£1.28 per kg... Same price as sugar? If you mean double, then yes...

I payed 92p a KG of sugar yesterday. So if i was to buy all my sugar from the same place the suagar is about 30% cheeper. But then i still have to mix it. If i am mixing around 50kg of Syrup it will take me best part of an hour, which is worth another £20 in my time. Total cost of suagr syrup £66. If i was to buy the Ambrosia it would cost me £64. So i guess its cheeper to use Ambrosia at £16 for a 12.5Kg Jerry Can

 

[Alabamaeee]

I have also been told that Ambrosia feed contains "inverted" sugar (not sure if that is the correct term.) and does not ferment.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Bookers currently £20.99 for a 25kg bag (84p per kg). Limited to 5 bags per person

 

[chickendave]

When makeing syrup you will be adding water' if your using a ratio of 1to1 as your feed a kilo bag of sugar will make just over 2 kilo's of syrup, at your price 92p for sugar,12.5 kilo's of feed would cost £5.52 and for your 4 colonies £22.08 for 50 kilo's
Of course there is your time in preparing the syrup and the cost of the fuel to heat up the water to disolve the suger
So for the price of the ambrosia at £64 you would get at least 125 kilo's for the same price and a little effort

 

[Black Comb]

Yes Ambrosia is inverted so less work for the bees. It won't ferment.
As Chris says it can be fed later. Useful for bees that have been to the heather.

Sugar is cheaper though but another benefit of Ambrosia is is that it's there when you need it. I use both, Ambrosia bought via the local association.

If you use Hivemakers recipe and add some thymol to sugar it stops it fermenting so you can mix in advance.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If you use Hivemakers recipe and add some thymol to sugar it stops it fermenting so you can mix in advance.

And you can feed it late, plus it will keep indefinately.