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Author Topic: feeding peppermint candy  (Read 3447 times)

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Offline whg3

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feeding peppermint candy
« on: January 19, 2016, 07:45:15 pm »
A friend gave me about 75 pounds of hard peppermint candy seconds from a candy manufacturer.  I ground up some of it into a fine powder with a food processor.  I was thinking about trying to feed it to the bees using
the winter camp method.  I would like anyone's thoughts on this.  Do you think they would take the peppermint flavor?
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Offline apisbees

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Re: feeding peppermint candy
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2016, 08:24:31 pm »
The sugars are most likely from high fructose corn syrup. Menthol was used to treat tracheal mites when they first appeared in North America. they will use it of through it out of the hive.
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Offline iddee

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Re: feeding peppermint candy
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2016, 08:38:52 pm »
I would double check the ingredients. I think it contains cornstarch, which will give the bees dysentery.
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Offline rwlaw

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Re: feeding peppermint candy
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2016, 07:45:59 am »
I'm in the Michael Bush camp when it comes to adding essential oils to hives, but I know it's popular and can be done. I'd put a big whoa on peppermint tho, for what iddee says and this one too.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5640843_peppermint-oil-detour-honey-bees_.html
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Offline riverbee

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Re: feeding peppermint candy
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2016, 10:05:13 pm »
IMHO>......i would not feed this to my bees.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: feeding peppermint candy
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2016, 10:33:12 am »
whg3, Wow!  That's a lot of candy.  I would suggest eating it yourself, but how much peppermint candy can one eat?  or use to make treats?  It would be nice if you could keep it until next Christmas season to use, but peppermint candies take on moisture and become a sticky mess.  I don't know if freezing is the answer, and I would rather have real food in my freezer. 
Also, I bought some popcorn that was drizzled with white chocolate mixed with peppermint candies.  It was great and expensive.  I thought how easy it would have been to make this myself.   :-[
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Offline Dunkel

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Re: feeding peppermint candy
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2016, 12:27:55 pm »
I would probably set it out in the spring and see what the bees did with it.  I have head several old timers around here talking about putting several of the logs on top before closing up before winter.  They made it seem like a common technique.
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