"..do the bees eat the syrup or do they convert it to honey before they eat it?"
Your question is,.. "kind of interesting",..

,..:scratch:. Do they 'eat it' [or absorb it],.. certainly,..but
do they derive energy/nourishment from sugar syrup/nectar before the normal [invertase/or other] chemical changes occur?
I don't know. I would 'assume' they do derive energy on the way back from a nectar or sugar syrup source that was somewhat beyond the 3-4 miles of their normal flight range. This would sustain them better, than if they had an empty honey stomach :scratch: