Invertase Invertobee 50-C: Make Invert Syrup for Bees at the Best Price

Invertobee 50-C at a glance:

€62 for a 300 g package, enough to invert 1,000 kg of sugar syrup (500 kg sugar + 500 kg water), at a real material cost of around €0.39/kg. Unlike "hot-process" products, Invertobee 50-C works with a cold process: it already works at 17-20 °C, with no need to heat the mixture and no energy cost. Prepare the syrup in an unheated shed in spring, let it work overnight, and it's ready to feed the next day.

Why choose Invertase Invertobee 50-C

Invertobee 50-C is designed for beekeepers who want complete flexibility in preparing syrup 1:1. It is an invertase mixture (300 g) that is suitable for 100% sugar inversion of 1,000 kg of sugar syrup 50% w/w (500 kg of sugar in 500 kg of water).

Here's why beekeepers choose it:

• Cold process - zero heating cost. Works from 17 °C up: prepare it in an unheated room, even in early spring, without spending a cent on energy.
• Ideal for managing remote or multiple apiaries. Prepare the batch before you leave, transport it in sealed containers: inversion completes during transit.
• Zero HMF. The low-temperature enzymatic process produces no hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a substance toxic to bees, unlike acid- and heat-based methods.
• In use since 2015. Chosen by thousands of professional beekeepers in 29 countries.
• 15 days to change your mind. Returns accepted within 15 days of delivery on unopened products (details in the Returns section below).

Every ingredient is food-grade for human consumption: acidity regulators (lemon powder, tartaric, malic and citric acid) and texture regulators (glucose, maltose and other sugars). The low-temperature inversion technology behind it was granted a patent in 2016 - confirmation of an original in-house formulation, not a generic one.

Already have a heated setup at 50-60 °C and want the lowest cost per tonne of syrup? Consider Invertase Invertobee 50-W - a cheaper enzyme per tonne treated, but it requires heating (see the full comparison on its dedicated page).

How it compares on cost to the competition

Invertase Invertobee 50-C costs €62 per tonne of 1:1 syrup (enzyme only, for a 1,000 kg batch / 500 kg sugar). The most direct enzyme competitor available online, at the manufacturer's own stated dosage, costs around €84 for the same tonne of syrup - Invertobee is therefore around 25% cheaper, for the same quantity of syrup produced - and it works cold, while cold use is not stated by that product's manufacturer. The calculation compares the dosage stated by the cheapest  competing enzyme available online with Invertobee's list price, both scaled to a standard 1,000 kg batch of 1:1 syrup (50% concentration). 

How to prepare invert syrup with Invertobee 50-C: step-by-step recipe

1. Weigh the ingredients. For 1,000 kg of finished syrup: 500 kg white granulated sugar + 500 kg clean water. Use only white beet or cane sugar - avoid raw sugar, brown sugar or syrups containing molasses.

2. Combine sugar and water. Pour the water into the tank first, then add the sugar. Mix until dissolved; you don't need to wait for complete dissolution before adding the enzyme.

3. Check the temperature. Invertobee 50-C works from 17 °C to 60 °C. At room temperature no heating is needed at all — that's the advantage of the cold process.

4. Weigh and add the enzyme. Use a scale to measure 300 g of Invertase Invertobee 50-C per 1,000 kg of syrup (500 kg sugar). Dissolve the powder in a little water separately, then pour it into the main batch and mix well.

5. Wait for inversion. The time needed is inversely proportional to temperature:
   - 36 hours at 17-20 °C (no heating)
   - 16 hours at 30 °C
   - 8 hours at 50-60 °C

6. Feed the bees. The syrup is 100% inverted, with regulated pH and zero HMF. It keeps for about a week: prepare only the quantity you'll use in that time.

Full guide: this is the base recipe for Invertobee 50-C. For the full step-by-step guide, including a comparison of enzymatic vs. acid inversion, and cost math for different volumes — see our dedicated guide "How to prepare invert syrup for bees".

What "fully inverted" means, and why it matters

Sucrose (table sugar) is a molecule bees must break down through their own digestive effort into glucose and fructose before they can metabolise it. Enzymatic inversion does this work before feeding: the bee receives a syrup already ready to absorb, saving metabolic energy.

Unlike acid-and-heat inversion - the traditional method - Invertobee 50-C's enzymatic process produces no HMF, a compound toxic to bees that forms when sugars are exposed to acid and high temperatures. For the full scientific analysis (2013 Apimondia study on average lifespan and gut health of honey bees), see our article "The benefits of using invertase".