Originally posted by Pargyle
But... reading back over some old posts (outside of this thread) I found people who appeared to be suggesting that feeding syrup over the whole winter was possible with thymolated syrup .... in order to keep the syrup from going mouldy and keep the bees free from Nosema.
I dont think anyone was suggesting that, but I may be one of the people you thought was. I recommend that bees live on thymolated syrup over the winter, from the stores they laid down during autumn feeding. I don't agree with leaving ANY feed on over winter, that's what there stores are for. If they are gettuing light (which shouldn't be before February at the earliest), then some fondant can get them through the last few weeks.
But, if your bees have a low level of Nosema spores (from microscopic analysis) and have no tendency towards contracting Nosema in epidemic proportions, consideration should be given to NOT feeding them with thymol ... I don't suggest that treating them is necessarily harmful ... just that it may be unnecessary.
See my earlier post- if the disease shows up in spring or summer you can treat; but if they get it in winter, by the time they are suffering badly you can't do anything about it.
You may be prone to sore throats but actually sucking throat sweets on a daily basis 'just in case' you get a sore throat may actually reduce your ability to ward off sore throats naturally. And before anyone starts to make an analogy to the flu *** or other such vaccinations ... the diseases they prevent can kill you.
If not sure the analogy stands up. The main deciding factor in nosema is the weather- both in determining their flight behaviour, and in their nutrition. If they are confined to the hive and with limited ability to gather pollen, they are likely to suffer from nosema, if not, not. I don't think they have a mechanism to be sharpened by exposure in the same way as we do to, say bacteria- with bees it's more of a numbers game.
I cannot believe that the bees like it any more than I liked a daily dose of cod liver oil when I was a kid ... what was all that about ? Doesn't happen today does it ?
It was an attempt to make up for poor diet, largely replaced now by vitamin tablets- ironically, usually given to well-nourished children, while the ones that are brought up on buckets of Southern Fried Mc Crap will probably never be allowed within shouting distance of a vitamin because of their parents ignorance.
OK, sorry... off topic I know, but sometimes you just have to let it out.
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