I'm still in the research phase of beekeeping and have yet to purchase anything. I'm being very thorough :) I'm trying to be as "natural" as possible. I don't have the space or the patience to worry about being certified as organic, plus I'm not planning to start a honey business, just have enough for myself and for gifts/bartering. Anyway, my question is, is it possible to leave one or both of the honey supers on during the winter to allow the bees to survive on their own honey instead of artificially feeding sugar syrup. I would then harvest the remaining honey in the spring when the next season has started.
I realize that this will dramatically reduce my honey harvest, but like I said, I'm not trying to sell it in bulk. My main reason for bees is to increase the effectiveness of my garden, but I want to get some honey too.
I was reading the other day and just thought of this method, so I'm not sure if it has been tried or if it would even work. Sorry if this has already been addressed. I searched the forums and didn't find any other mention of it.
Thanks in advance for your input!