Thanks for your post. I'm a bee guardian of several years and never take their honey. We have long winters here so you're never quite sure how much stores they will need... I also wonder whether the bee decline has anything to do with them being given sugar water rather than their own honey which in my mind must affect their resilience and immune system as honey is their medicine... The bee's know whats best for them, so I provide somewhere for them to live and thrive and don't bother them. Like heremonioum said about the bee's knowing their cousin I find that too. Its like they know I'm not a threat so they let me sit with them. I just sited some whisky barrel bee hives on my allotment and waiting in hope for a couple of swarms to move in :)