The increasing use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a supplemental carbohydrate source for honey bee colonies suggested the need for research concerning potential deleterious effects of HFCS on colony performance. Sucrose,42% HFCS, and 55% HFCS were compared as supplemental carbohydrate sources for colonies established from packages during 1982 and 1983 at Madison, Wis. During 1982, there were no significant differences among treatments in early season weight gains, season honey production, or sealed brood measurements. There were no significant differences among treatments in winter consumption. During 1983, there were no significant differences among treatments in cluster size or newly emerged worker whole-body dry weights in the spring or head and thorax dry weights. Spring sealed brood was significantly greater in the sucrose treatment than in the HFCS treatments. Differences among treatments in season honey production were not significant. We concluded that feeding either 42 or 55% HFCS as carbohydrate supplements does not adversely affect honey bee colony performance.
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Severson et al. (1984) studied this question.