Hello Chris,

> Just put gallon #5 on each.
 >Someone stated  a few weeks ago that they'll stop taking it when >they've
had enough,  but there must be a limit.  How much is too >much???

Overfeeding is certainly better than underfeeding. As a new beekeeper
starting out you need to error on the heavy feeding side. You should by now
be able to heft the boxes and get a general idea of the winter stores.

Overfeeding can cause all brood rearing to shut down as the bees plug the
brood nest preventing the queen from raising brood which lets you go into
winter with mostly old worn out worker bees. Overfeeding can stop the
storage of fall pollen for a early spring start up because of lack of cells
to store fall pollen.

I am nit picking a bit as many commercial beekeepers around the world open
feed and strong hives do all of the above and most hives still seem to come
out of winter ok.

Starvation on the other hand costs money and labor and the blame goes to the
beekeeper in *all* cases except for the cluster not being able to move to
the stored honey (which happens).

I try to give all hives a gallon of syrup after the supers are removed and
then let the hives store pollen and raise the young brood for winter.

When I feel brood rearing needs to shut down I feed heavy all hives to light
for winter. Syrup is money to say nothing of time spent.

Feeding bees as you have done discourages the bees to collect on their own
many times. Perhaps there is simply no pollen and nectar to collect as is
the case in several parts of the U.S.this year because of the drought.

When beekeeping is a hobby and time is not a issue open up the hive and see
the areas  of honey/syrup storage. Looking is better than hefting if one has
the time to spend. Try to get the top box full of honey as the bees move up
over the winter. Many hobby beekeepers arrange the winter nest for the bees.
simple method many use:
 I see no problem with putting the stored honey/syrup above the brood nest
when using two deeps. Brood nest down. Leave enough honey/syrup down below
on both sides of the brood nest to hold the bees till all brood has emerged
and brood rearing has ceased. Hobby beekeepers which arrange the brood nest
for their bees to winter  hardly ever run into the bees moving away from the
stores and dying of starvation.

Bob