Marc asks about spring feeding in Mass. Go ahead and feed. 1:1 ratio is fine, either by weight or volume. Strong hives that might want to swarm are just what you want...but give them plenty of room so they don't swarm! You are unlikely to overfeed as the brood population is what counts (compared to the adult population) and that is going to be limited by pollen rather than by syrup. You need adult populations to collect the pollen, keep the brood warm, etc., and that needs syrup or honey. the hatched brood population is what will eventually collect your honey surplus. Hope this helps, Lloyd