Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: rober on September 05, 2022, 12:48:17 pm

Title: can mineral oil hurt bees?
Post by: rober on September 05, 2022, 12:48:17 pm

i use mineral oil in my beetle traps since it doesn't congeal like cooking oil. i was making a 5 gallon batch of sugar syrup & added a few tablespoons of mineral oil instead of the usual vinegar. poisonous to bees? i know vegetable could be.

Title: Re: can mineral oil hurt bees?
Post by: iddee on September 05, 2022, 01:10:10 pm

I don't know about oil, but mold in sugar water doesn't hurt bees, Why add anything?

Title: Re: can mineral oil hurt bees?
Post by: rober on September 05, 2022, 06:53:31 pm

vinegar changes the ph. i've found the bees prefer syrup with vinegar.

Title: Re: can mineral oil hurt bees?
Post by: Bakersdozen on September 06, 2022, 07:17:36 pm

I've heard of beekeepers fogging hives with mineral oil to control mites (This is not a recommendation to do that!) but not feeding mineral oil to bees.  I don't think that sounds like the thing to do.  How would this benefit them?  Just because they take it doesn't mean it's good for them.  In the spring they will take sawdust back to the colony if they can't find pollen.  Just my 2 cents worth.