A research article [Johnson et al. (2012)] found that:
"in terms of toxicological capacity, a diet of sugar is not equivalent to a diet of honey."
"Midguts of sucrose-fed bees, compared to those consuming honey extract, appeared fragile, flaccid and generally smaller"
The common exploit of taking the hive's honey and replacing with sugar reminds me of a comment Rudolf Steiner made in his 1923 lectures:
"It is one matter if you let nature take its course and only help to steer it in the right direction when necessary, but it is entirely another matter if you supply artificial methods to speed things along."
[UPDATE] In another research [Berenbaum, (2013)] article:
"The widespread apicultural use of honey substitutes, including high-fructose corn syrup, may thus compromise the
ability of honey bees to cope with pesticides and pathogens and contribute to colony losses"