Crazy idea to get started next year on a second hive

[louborges]

I started a new hive this year for the first time from a package I bought in May. I don't expect to harvest any honey this year as this is a newly established hive. I started with a standard deep hive body which is now full of brood and honey. I added a second medium super which they filled completely with sugar syrup that I provided and added another medium super which they started to draw comb. Here is the crazy idea. I want to start a second hive next year and know that if they have drawn comb and honey things will go a lot faster. So what if I take the frames from the medium super full of honey/syrup and freeze it for when I get another package of bees and feed this years hive lots more sugar water for them to replace what I take? Is this worth the efforts?

[alpha6]

Do even one better. Pull the frames of deep filled with sugar/honey and replace with undrawn. They will fill these out. You can use the filled ones in the spring or feed it back to the hive during the winter if they run short of stores.

[Ravenseye]

It's always nice to have comb. Having honey for spring bees is OK but the comb is what's really valuable. In my opinion, you're better off feeding them 1:1 in the spring instead of honey. Yes, the honey is good for winter feed when you really need to get them some food.