I was reading @Michael_Bush’s website about how/what/when to feed bees (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm). I was intrigued by the possibility of simplifying things by using dry sugar.
Then I stumbled across this thread where people reported success feeding dry sugar in the summer by putting the sugar on top of their inner cover.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-243342.html
Thoughts?
I have never tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. However, in SoCal we have a severe drought, and I just have the feeling that bees need the water too. It would be interesting to see how readily they take dry sugar compared with syrup.
“Fat Bee skinny Bee” a research paper written in Australia speaks highly of feeding dry sugar as well not just Americans. Your 2 articles including FAT bees that talk about it
I don’t generally feed them in the summer… dry sugar tends to get hauled out for trash if you don’t get it clumped up a bit. But yes, you could do that. Just don’t leave large spaces that the bees can build their own comb in…
Dry sugar works well as feed in the winter time but I prefer fondant only because I have easy access to it and it is easy to place on the hives.
I’ve never fed bees in the Spring/Summer.
Once the hives have achieved 3 deep brood box status they are very self sufficient and haven’t needed feeding for the past 4 years. Smaller hives and nucs get fondant in the winter but nothing else.
100% survival rate this winter (so far) 
How can you tell if they are hauling out for trash versus consuming it? I put some on the inner cover and it was gone in about a week.
When they haul it out for trash it’s on the ground in front of the hive… usually covered in ants…