> When I put the feed on the hive, the bees 
> seem to get quite excited...
> I'm getting many bees at my back door, 
> front door, and in general all over the neighborhood, 

> Can someone explain this behavior 

> if I were to put the food inside an empty super 
> on the top of the hive, would this behavior change/decrease?

From the question about "empty super", I am guessing that you are open
feeding, or using an entrance feeder.
Based on that guess, here's a conclusion:

Both these options, in fall, tend to increase robbing-type behavior, as it
is fall, and there are not many other forage options.
Some people say that the season alone turns the thoughts of bees to crime,
but I don't buy that, as, for a bee, crime always pays.

I would expect a feeder that was available only to the hive being fed and
defendable would utterly eliminate this behavior.
Entrance feeders and open feeding are not defendable.
I consider entrance feeders to be a beekeeping prevention product (too
small, not defendable, glass in the beeyard where we often kneel down...)
A decent-sized hive can empty one of those before you can get back to the
house.

If using "Honey-B-Healthy" or similar scented snake-oil product, this can
increase the robbing behavior, as the scent is so strong, it acts as an
effective homing beacon.

I am shocked at an actual practical beekeeping discussion on Bee-L after so
many weeks of discussions that are so "meta".

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