Powdered Sugar Vs Sugar Water "Bath"

[LazyBkpr]

I have done it as slow mentions..  supposedly its less stressful on the bees. No banging the package around. thumping it on the ground, then smacking it to shake the bees out etc...
   To be honest.. I didn't notice any difference in dead bees, stressed bees etc..  between the thump and dump and setting the box upside down on the top bars. But, since both seem to work I can't argue one over the other.
   I will be doing an installation vid for the website next month..   I only ordered two packages this year, but two is all I need to vid both methods. I'll post the links when I have them done. I'll also try to keep track of any differences I notice.

[riverbee]

i follow the practice of hiving packages similiar to what apis does. i spray a little water when i get them, and if it's hot i will again, or as apis said during transportation. i wait  until later in the day. pull 4 frames from the center, pull the syrup can. i put the queen in her cage aside or on top the frames, shake them in. leave the box next to the hive with any bees who quite don't want to leave for a little bit, they do shortly. replace the frames, and set the queen cage in. i slow release all my queens, but that is because i keep russian bees now.  i have a time or two added a little hbh, or sugar to the water spray. like apis said later in the day, minimizes flying and also drifting.

powdered sugar. it has been mentioned not to use 'store bought' powdered sugar to dust the bees with for natural mite 'control'.  not to open a can of worms here, but the small amount of the corn starch in the powdered sugar that one would dust their bees with is not enough to hurt them.  feeding them powdered sugar yes, dusting them with it no. i guess i would ask how much is being dusted on them? you don't need more than a cup per brood box or even much less. you don't need to saturate them. just my humble opinion. 

[LazyBkpr]

Mrs River;
   I know several long time beekeepers that do use store bought powdered sugar to dust with, and in fact will make queen candy with Karo and store bought powdered sugar. I have asked about the practice, and was answered much in the way you just said.

[apisbees]

powdered sugar.   not to open a can of worms here, but the small amount of the corn starch in the powdered sugar that one would dust their bees with is not enough to hurt them.

She just did!!!
We use to dust with icing sugar mixed with Tetracycline when you wanted to get them medicated but they didn't require syrup.

[tecumseh]

my advice would be two fold...

1) when you get the package spray a bit of water on the screen wire... if anything they will be thirsty from the long trip.   when you pull the can in the package check to see how much syrup is still left in the can and if it is empty think about feeding the new hive often in small proportions.  when you finally install the package use water and not sugar water < this will make the bees a bit heavy and reduce their tendency to fly and water will not attract or generate other problems (like ants or possible robbing).

2) at some point you will need to get to some varroa treatment that works for you and also works for the bees.  There are any number of options but of all of these I suspect (and I don't think any real beekeeping authority would disagree with me here) that sugar powdered dusting is either largely or totally ineffective.   <CONFESSION HERE I say this even though I have not treated a single hive in perhaps 7 or 8 years.... but then again I have what some might classify as large numbers of hives and I don't miss one or two when they fall by the way side due to varroa and THIS is all a part of my own NON PLAN.  This however doesn't mean I have not researched various option and know which one work at least to some degree and of course the associated question of why they work and when they work the best.