Never Feed Bees Honey

Truth: Feeding bees their own honey is ideal—as long as you know its source.

Many beekeepers will repeat this rule without hesitation: "Never feed bees honey." It sounds counterintuitive. After all, honey is what bees make for themselves. So why the caution?

Where the Warning Comes From

This advice doesn’t originate from nature—it originates from disease management in modern beekeeping. Feeding bees honey from an unknown or external source poses serious risks:

• It could be contaminated with American Foulbrood (AFB) or other bacterial spores,

• It may contain chemicals, antibiotics, or adulterants,

• It could introduce foreign pathogens that your bees have no resistance to.

So the rule isn’t really "never feed bees honey" — it’s "never feed bees someone else's honey".

When It Makes Sense

In natural beekeeping, the goal is for bees to overwinter and thrive on their own stores. But in emergencies—after a robbing event, loss of stores, or unusually harsh weather—feeding may be necessary. In those cases, feeding their own honey (if you have some from that same colony or apiary) is vastly superior to sugar syrup.

Honey contains:

• Beneficial enzymes and acids,

• Trace minerals and antioxidants,

• Antimicrobial properties that support bee health,

• And the scent signatures that keep the hive cohesive.

The Natural Beekeeper’s Take

If you harvest honey, consider setting aside a few frames or jars from each hive to use for emergencies.

• Mark it clearly by colony or season,

• Store it securely to prevent fermentation or contamination,

• And use it when needed to keep the bees on familiar nutrition.

Sugar water is just calories. Honey is medicine, memory, and microbiome.

Final Note

So yes, don’t feed bees random or commercial honey—it can do more harm than good. But if you know where it came from, and especially if it came from their own hive, feeding honey is one of the most natural supports you can offer.

Let them eat what they made. That’s what it was for.