People often ask me what "sustainable" beekeeping is, and one of the main tenets as far as I'm concerned is not giving bees sugar syrup. Ever. Feeding is generally done in the autumn in most beekeeping circles, as the bulk of the honey will have been removed for our consumption so of course the bees …
Summer vs Winter honey
How and when bees store honey alters the composition and taste. In conventional beekeeping, all the honey from the preceding season is taken in late summer/early autumn, and the bees fed a sugar syrup to replenish their stores. I don't do this. Instead, I take honey little and often through the summer and leave the …