Feeding back honey - should I dilute it?

[Parsonage Bees]

Using an English feeder to feed honey extracted recently. Should I dilute it and if so how much?

I'm queen rearing using Ben Harden method on a big colony with honey supers. The advice is to feed. Don't want to use sugar syrup as will spoil the honey in the supers. So I'm feeding back some honey in an English feeder.

Also I have about 70lbs of 'honey' extracted from overwintered supers. I use brood and half. Will have some syrup in it. Won't need to buy any sugar this year.

When feeding back honey should it be diluted?

Thanks . . . . . Ben

 

[Hebeegeebee]

A 50% sugar solution is what the bees can use instantly which is why we feed thin syrup. As honey has around a 20% water content, then adding water will allow them to use it in brood-rearing if they need it.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

A 50% sugar solution is what the bees can use instantly which is why we feed thin syrup. As honey has around a 20% water content, then adding water will allow them to use it in brood-rearing if they need it.

Makes sense to me. (It's what I've already done today). Just not sure.
Sugar syrup is pretty sterile. ? Whereas diluted honey might go sour or fungusy. ?
I'm going to let them finish each feed and wipe out the feeder.