for sugar syrups
Make Your Own Invert Sugar Syrup for Bees
Invertobee is a powder you mix into sugar syrup. The enzyme inverts the sugar with no acid and no boiling, so the syrup contains no HMF, and it costs less than ready-made invert syrup. Customer laboratory analyses have confirmed the absence of HMF.
Why enzyme and not acid and heat
The traditional method inverts sugar with acid and high heat. It forms hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is toxic to honey bees, and it takes time, energy and labour. In a three-year caged-bee study by Mirjanic et al., presented at the Apimondia congress in Kyiv in 2013, bees fed acid-inverted syrup showed the worst damage to the midgut lining, while enzyme-inverted syrup showed no significant damage.
Choose your product
The name tells you what each product does. C is the cold process: it works at 17-20 °C, so no heating is needed. W is the warm process: it needs 50-60 °C, which suits beekeepers who already have heating equipment. 50 is for 1:1 syrup (50% sugar), thin and good for spring stimulation and brood rearing. 66 is for dense 2:1 syrup (65-68% sugar), good for building winter stores.
- Invertobee 50-C: 1:1 syrup, cold or warm. 300 g per 1,000 kg of syrup. 36 hours at 17-20 °C, 16 hours at 30 °C, 8 hours at 50-60 °C.
- Invertobee 50-W: 1:1 syrup, warm only. 300 g per 1,000 kg of syrup. 12 hours at 50-60 °C.
- Invertobee 66-C: 2:1 syrup, cold or warm. 350 g per 1,000 kg of syrup. 36 hours at 17-20 °C, 16 hours at 30 °C, 8 hours at 50-60 °C.
- Invertobee 66-W: 2:1 syrup, warm only. 300 g per 1,000 kg of syrup. 12 hours at 50-60 °C.
How to make the syrup
- Dissolve crystal sugar in water: equal parts of sugar and water for a 50 product, two parts of sugar to one of water for a 66 product.
- Bring the syrup to the temperature your product needs.
- Weigh the dose from the list above, dilute it as shown in the pack instructions, and mix it into the syrup.
- Wait for the inversion time, let the syrup cool, and feed it. Fresh 1:1 syrup keeps 6-7 days; dense 2:1 syrup keeps up to 30 days in a sealed container.
You need a scale and a thermometer. Every order includes the instruction manual.
Ingredients and safety
Besides the invertase, the products contain acidity regulators and texture regulators. All ingredients follow specifications for human consumption. Invertobee is also used in the confectionery industry, in sweet preserves, marzipan and other confections, where it slows crystallization and extends shelf life. A full Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is in your downloads after your order.
Who uses it
Since 2015, thousands of professional beekeepers in 30+ countries, from Canada to Oman, have used Invertobee. See where.
