I have read several posts on feeding bees, and most recommend honey if available. With new hives starting this year, I am wondering if I should any excess summer production for the bees next spring rather than taking it. Cindi replied in an earlier post than any honey in the first year is a bonus, but perhaps it is not a bonus I should take. How do I save frames of hoeny to give back to them? Do I simply leave another medium on the hive with frames of honey, or do I freeze it and set it out when needed? I know it seems a bit premature to be planning for next spring, but without a plan, it seems that I am seriously increasing the odds of a crisis. What are your thoughts? Should I save honey or simply rely on sugar syrup?
You leave a super on the hive with enough honey to get them through the winter. If you have any honey left over after that, you could just freeze the frames of honey until you need them next spring. That is what I have done and I have been slowly feeding them back the honey from the freezer (after defrosting, of course). so far I have not had to feed them any sugar syrup. Just place the frames of honey into the top of the hive and they have what they need to eat. Very easy.
My preference is to leave them honey or let them gather nectar if it's available. If it's not, I feed them syrup. It's too messy, expensive and laborious to feed honey back. If you mix the honey with water it often spoils. You can feed honey any way you feed syrup, but I think it's too much work. You can freeze frames of honey if you like. The nice thing about leaving it is the bees will guard it from the ants and wax moths. If you have it anywhere else other than the freezer you have to worry about them.
The best way to feed a colony is to give it frames of capped honey. :)