As a very long time observer of bees I am certain that one can not feed enough sugar syrup to make any substantial quantity of honey
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I don’t understand why you would say this. The liquid that comes out of a flower is obviously far less sweet than sugar syrup. Therefore it would take much more flower nectar to make a given quantity of honey than it would to use sugar syrup . And this does not even account for the distances traveled. A barrel of sugar syrup could be set a foot from the hive.
You might think so but it doesn't work. i have fed my hives and when the bees have a nectar source they go to the nectar, they don't cluster around the sugar water exclusively even when you stick it in the hive. but i don't feed any more. gone "red state". they either make it on their own or they don't, but i also don't take near as much honey off the hive as i used to either.
see? they keep more of what they make, and i don't have to provide as much support. we are all happy.