So I just watched a similar test video. So now I'm just confused. It's a brief video, thought you might want to watch! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mdZdpbxektKcYY0.html

For those who complained about the music or narration, here is another camera view with only natural sounds: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y6-Kn6yU2tHZZGw.html and a special thanks to those who are easy to please!

So, the beekeeper is more attracted to so-called "feed stimulants" than are bees. Further evidence that the essential oil fad is nothing more than a fad. Thanks for adding a little science to the discussion.

Wow! All this after I just made a half gallon of homemade HBH. To be fair......you had this up for over 4 years......so that's on me. Glad I didn't buy it. I really wouldn't have thought it was THAT big of a difference, but they were clearly avoiding it when they had a choice. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing the experiments this season, very interesting.

HOW DOES THIS NOT HAVE 1 MILLION VIEWS Already?

Interesting, people have bird feeders in gardens. Nice to see bee feeders in gardens too.

The bees have spoken 😂

good experiment man. truelly enjoyed watching this. ur presentation is also too good. congrats...

I have watched most of your videos and plan to learn how to be a bee keeper as a total newcomer. Your videos are most informative and soothing. I plan to use the flow hive. I'll continue to be your student. Thank you.

Thank you so much for doing these reviews! They're practical and educational!

I would not have guessed those results. Thanks.

Love the time laps videos you do. I have not seen them anywhere else

Omg this is amazing!! I’d love to see it in real time

Wow great test .

Thanks for the tests, have enjoyed them. Noticed when the bees started going for the HBH that the left drinker was in the sun. Wonder what effect temp has on their feeding preferences...

another great experiment! thank you!

That is interesting. When I've used it, I had them coming into the house searching for that smell. The hives are 100 so yards out back and I had the front door open.

3 am and im watching bees drink

Excellent experiment!

this is the first time i even thought abt this things. it was like a class for me. i m in to bee keeping bt not large. bt the way i m jeneesh from India.

BRONDO IT'S GOT WHAT BEES CRAAAAVE

Bees know what they need. And it is inexpensive. Nectar. Sugar water.

From your videos I'm setting up a 2 gallon feeder with Mortan Sea Salt, one 2 gallon sugar water and a 5 gallon of plain water and replenish as necessary

I only feed new packages early spring and have given choice and HBH was preferred in my experience - not free feed but baggies in the same hive with and without and not observed, just checked the days later to see if they need more and the HBH baggies were empty and the sugar water alone were not... but I did use water out of the tap and saw in your comment that might have an impact. This was interesting, though!

this is great thanks

That was very cool!!

Very interesting!

Thank you , this is good to know. You are right they target man not bees.

An interesting note not related to sugar but rather only water, on my property I have a massive abundance of water sources, lakes, ponds, creeks and much more. I've found honey bees congregating at a certain spring which is really just a trickle out of the side of the hill and I don't usually see them elsewhere. I've noticed that they like certain water sources just like we do.

Some folk in Yorkshire , keeping bee's could not understand why the honey was purple red yellow blue . Until the that discovered it wasn't honey ,but a kind of sirup .They found out that the bee's were visiting the skips dumpster of a sweet factory miles away .

Very interesting 🧐

I make up batches of syrup outside in a stock pot over a propane burner. Not many bees or yellow jackets are attracted while I am doing so unless I add the stimulant during the process. Which I no longer do! It is only after I transfer the newly-made syrup into holding buckets that I add the feeding stimulant. Once added, the bucket lid goes on because otherwise it would, indeed, attract bees and yellow jackets. The stimulant does a wonderful job preventing mold. And, of course, I would hope that there are (albeit elusive and as-yet unproven) health benefits for my bees.

Back at it again...

Frederick, great videos, very informative. I’d love to see a review of Gunther Hauk’s recipe for “bee tea” vs sugar water. It’s not a product to buy, but to make.If you search, you should find the link to his website and recipe. Perhaps next spring for a new feeding video you could use this. Again maybe with and without the herbs and flower infusion that his recipe calls for vs sugar water vs HBH.

Thanks Fred, I was surprised at how quickly they consumed those containers. Im in the process of arranging waterers for our bees before they arrive but the option you show doesn't look like it can be sent to us down here in Australia (at least not through Amazon). I wondered what you used for everyday watering of your bees?

People will also choose highly sugared drinks over healthier drinks.

There are many recipes and brands of "B healthy" out there. I got a similar experience with the same brand used here with the majority of the bees tested. However, some bees were attracted at the same ratio to the sugar water and the sugar water + B Health in other experiments. It is inconclusive to me so far if this has some benefit or not. Keep the good work, Frederick. Cheers.

Thank you I do think that the bees will like sugar water by itself more than honeybee coffee but it's not about feeding them it's about treating them for varroa mites and nosema and I think it probably does help them eventually but I want to make my own and give it a shot

Bees preference does not necessarily mean that it's more healthy for their diet. Humans also prefer sugar to honey, but we know honey is more nutricious. This experience just simply tells bees prefer sugar but doesn't mean it's healthy for them. My feeling is that the Bee Collapse Syndrome is somehow linked to human feeding sugar to bees lessening their immunity to diseases among other factors.

Great comparison. But I wonder if there are health benefits with HBH which would override the apparent bees' preference for 2:1 not having HBH.

Hi Fred Maybe this is the experiment Paul Stamets needs to do with mycorhisal extracts for verilla mite eradication ??

Your great videos got me thinking of a possible variant, or additional hypothesis, to test: if the sugar/water solution (without any additives) is better for long-term health versus a solution with a commercial supplement added; and to determine if the bees are only consuming the plain sugar/water solution first (or faster) because it tastes better. I’d compare this to a condition in which a small child was presented with a chocolate bar and a piece of broccoli. In most situations the chocolate would be eaten first. However, the chocolate does not provide anywhere near the nutritional value of the broccoli, and the chocolate does not have the "long-term" benefits a vegetable would have to the body, versus candy. Just because it (the chocolate) was consumed first (or faster) doesn’t dismiss the potential the product consumed second, or slower, (the broccoli) does not have benefits as well.Not sure how an experiment could be setup to apply this honey bees, but I wonder what we could do to test the potential long-term benefits/consequences (if any) of a commercial product added to a syrup solution, versus a "plain" syrup solution.Thanks again for the great videos!

I do not use honey bee healthy or the alternative but ive done some testing with a top feeder. Using 10 drops of lemongrass oil emulsified in 2 quarts 1:1 sugar water. On average regardless of dearth or hive population the sugar water with lemongrass oil is taken 2x as fast. Whether its healthy for them i dont know.

Next video, Gatorade vs Powerade! ;). And who’s the grump that downvoted your video, wow.

Maybe their instincts are to choose a simple water mix given that in nature, something sketchy could be in a complex mix, resulting in death or disease. Doesn't mean that the additives are bad.

Is the honeybee healthy formula too strong to be used in a top round feeder. My bees seem to do fine with sugar syrup, but when I add the formula to it, they eat less and I find a few dead bees in the syrup.

Very interesting. I appreciate your documentation and experimentation. I would have guessed the result to be quite different. I use HBH often when feeding my bees, but sometimes I don’t have any on hand. I believe supplements and essential oils are beneficial, but there are many factors I suppose. Based on this experiment, which I encourage others to do ( including myself)....I would think that the sugar water is more important than anything. It’s possible that maybe different species/hives in different environments need more or less than others. The scent of HBH is indeed an attractant, which could be good and bad. It will attract all types of insects, so it might be best used as an outside source and not within the hive if you have trouble with robbing...but could be very beneficial to a weak/sick hive or to prevent mold in the sugar water.

*@Frederick Dunn* Could you do this experiment, but with different kinds of sugar? Like, from refined White Sugar to Dark brown Muscovado sugar.

Your welcome ,Fred. To try and answer the question is tough. I'm still classed as a novice. That's how I see myself. To use the mix as a concentrate,diluting it down to a cup per gallon of pure 1:1 or 2:1 or half a cup for half a gallon. I feel it's a way to help protect the bees immune system. Pure honey is obviously the best but they need help against pests and fungal diseases. Winter green and tea tree oil in the mix will combat chalk brood and the nemesis of the lil girls,the dastardly varroa mite. You can correct me if I'm wrong Frederick,as I said this is our second season. Randy Oliver said it best at a seminar. Bees require 3 things to survive. 1.a warm dry home. 2 .a plentiful supply of pollen and nectar. 3. Help with pest and disease control(wasps,varroa etc etc).

If both solutions started out as 50 / 50 sugar water, and you then added the supplement, the 'fortified' sugar water would be slightly more diluted. Is it possible that they can detect that slight variation in sweetness?

Do you add anything to your syrup? Cider vinegar or the like?

Where did you get the feeders?

Is “Morena Pure Cane Sugar” OK to feed bees? Also, is “White Satin Powdered Amalgamated Sugar” made from beets OK to feed bees?

Hi Frederick. Ok we live in the uk and our climate is a lot different to that of various states north versus south per say. We use not honey bee healthy, but a variant of it. It's a recipe from the fat bee man that's been tweaked by little bits honey joe may. The bees go crazy for it. The recipe is on one of his videos he shows exactly how to make and the items required i.e. A glass food blender. Yes the mix contains In small measured quantities listed. Granulated sugar Water Essential oils. Lemon grass Spearmint or peppermint Wintergreen Tea tree oil That's basically it. Once mixed to the required concentrate add half a cup 1/2 gallon of 1:1 or 2:1 syrup. I feel and maybe I'm alone on this. Honey bee healthy is an expensive product that not all bees like. I'm sorry if anyone feels different that's my feelings. The mix is fantastic and costs hardly anything to make.the wintergreen adds an aroma inside the hive which helps combat against varroa. The tea tree oil helps fight against fungal diseases. Please try the mix you will be surprised on the wonderful results. Little bits honey joe may. If we can as bee keepers worldwide help an extra % of hives to over winter that's all for the benefit of the lil girls( sorry bees ). Thanks for the great videos

New a little bit different now bubba using it for smoke

What is the difference between Honey B healthy and Hive Alive

Hi. The ratio is 2:1... so for every quart of water, do I need 2 quarts of sugar? Is it correct?

I add natural pollon to the sugar water ideas on this topic???

It's like giving candy to your kids. You hate to do it but at the same time. supper is two hours away bc you decided on baked potatoes

Why can't Honey b pro post these same kinds of open tests maybe they know the results

1 to 1 plane sugar water taken at same rate as 2 to 1 sugar water - more or less (bottles #1 and #3). Honey B Healthy was slowly taken taken while there was plane sugar water to drink. While it is not marked, I am guessing that the H B H.was at the same concentration in #2 and #4. Again not marked but I am guessing that #2 and #4 also had sugar mixed in as well but I did not see or hear you say if it was 1 to1 in both #2 and #4 or if it was like bottles #1 band #3. Otherwise good experiment. Good point about about the pungent sent of these oils. Maybe this is the reason that they were taken back last. The "older bees" were more numerous and wiser about drinking it up and there were a "few younger beers" who didn't realize the potential danger that they were putting the hive in to thus the slow response.

Very interesting video, so I can just feed water and sugar, apparently. I am seeking for help please. I found a bee outside, it was frozen to death (or at least I thought so, it wasn't moving). I took it home and just left it in the kitchen. After two days.. she was alive! A few hours ago she came back to life (not flying, just staying up and slowly moving), I am so happy, but what do I do now? I fed it with water and cane sugar. Where do I find purified water? Will water and sugar be enough for the bee? Do I have to add nectar proteins etc? Is it better to make a tiny "house" so the bee can stay warmer? How about light and darkness? How can I make a feeder? I am sorry I have so many questions and I don't know what to do. Thank you in advance to any of you who will help.

The Honey Bee Healthy product is for helping the bees deal with the mites and other pest they're exposed to. The lemon grass is a kind of desinfectant and deoderant. Since it's natural plant it's not toxic.

At the end of this two year old video, you said you probably wouldn't use Honey B Healthy, but we know that you obviously do. What made you change your mind and continue using?

Would have been interesting to see if they would go for honey or sugar syrup. Probably honey

I found the voice over for Tina off Bobs Burgers😂

Hi Frederick , just learning , but why would you not feed them some of their own honey back ??? Wouldn't that be the most healthy option to help their immune system ?? Cheers Pat nz

cut the 2 tsp per quart down to ONLY 2 small drops they'll hammer it.The manufacturer recommended dose is WAY Too High and my bees won't touch it,cut it back to drop or two they love it.Actually what I do is put about eighth teaspoon in jar of water an pour shot of that in my quart jar of syrup and they take it better than straight syrup...

I read of this guy who added anise to his syrup and then they went absolutely insane, it was like crack to them. ...if you want to try another experiment.

The sugar is more rewarding cognitively (pleasure) but not nutritionally (longevity)?

They will obviously drink the thing with the highest sugar concentration

Great experiment - it’s clear they prefer regular sugar water - any data as to whether they were better off with additives? Analogy - if I prefer ice cream to vegetables is that evidence to have more ice cream?

I've used honeybee healthy only because it was given to me. It worked only because it was the only game in town for the bees. I wasn't impressed. There wasn't anything in the way of improvement. It's just another money maker for a supplement that's a waste of time. I'll stick with my sugar syrup.

Hmmm 🤔 looks like humans eating crispy creme.

Sugar water & honey bee healthy , wanted to know more

It seems like your test is only testing what the bees prefer as a syrup. It doesn't really test whether there is any benefit or harm to the hive from the essential oils. Most medicines don't 'taste' that great that I would prefer them, but they still provide a benefit. I think maybe you're conclusions for testing your hypothesis may require additional observations and measurements.

What is the difference between Honey Bee Healthy and Hive Alive?

Wow, a great up.iPad, thank you

👀

Experience beekeeper will never use this crap but will make own queens and use oxalic acid every year once October or no ember

A whole lot of RED FLAGS went up for me when I saw the warning label ingredients itself beginning at 6:04 - 6:22: "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. KEEP TIGHTLY SEALED. This is a concentrate and not for human consumption. If accidentally ingested seek medical help. User assumes full liability of use." If it's not safe for human consumption and the bees are being made to ingest this stuff which is then added to the hives, what will it do to not only the honey they supply to us but to their own little digestive systems and all the new bee larva in which they feed? What will eventually become of the original honey bee colony or other flying insects which might also ingest this Honey B Healthy stuff. I'm not a bee keeper, but I am a consumer who loves honey and GOD's order of nature. This concerns me greatly. Please don't feed this to your precious bees any more. GOD bless and keep you. Shalom and Agape. (^8

No Way would I be adding anything with Lemongrass Oil - especially so late in the year! Yikes!

The mix works 100% compared to that overpriced overrated honey bee healthy. You might guess I'm not a fan of it. Anyone you hasn't seen little bits honey you tube channel please look. His version is better than any honey bee healthy product or variant of the product. Joe may is his name .