What do bees cap

[Carol]

Do Honeybees cap anything other than honey or brood?

[Spear]

As far as I know not...

[Moots]

As far as I know not...

I'm with Spear on this one...What did you had in mind Carol?  :)

Honey and Brood gets capped, Pollen doesn't.....What else is there?  :?

[Carol]

We checked the hive on Wed the 4th...the only frame with anything in it had a half dozen capped drone cells and some that looked like supercedure cells...one frame ..both sides.  all the others had a little nectar and pollen...so I called Sam Comfort and made arrangements to pick up a package of bees....(ended up with two).

We divided up the drawn frames between the 3 deeps. 2 used for the combine and one for the extra package.  Yesterday (12th)..we removed the top deep and the newspaper....while exchanging the drawn frames for empties...we noticed some brown capped cells.

The new Queen was installed in the top deep above the paper....the capped cells were below.....only 8 days....too soon for capped brood?  ...even if the Queen got out the first day and got below the paper...figured she would lay above with the main group of bees. Just curious.  They are not drone cells.....flat capps. It was in dark brood comb...since those bees had no access to the top for a few days...would honey in brood cells have dark caps?

[Moots]

You could always open one up and take a look.  :)

[Carol]

We did open one...looked like clear liquid....but the dark cap threw us off.

[Moots]

We did open one...looked like clear liquid....but the dark cap threw us off.

Carol,
My best guess is it's honey and I want to say the darker capping on the older comb is to be expected.  That being said, there's tons of folks on here with tons more experience than I have, so hopefully they'll chime in. 

[Carol]

Moots:  thanks...I thought that might be it but was checking. That is what it looked like...didn't see anything else in it and didn't mess with the others...just put it in the deep.

I really enjoy this board and I know  I probably ask a lot of dumb questions....but I am trying to learn....appreciate all the help I can get. I love the bees....even though I swell and itch like crazy when I get stung... :?   it is getting better thought...swelling doesn't last as long and the itch isn't as bad. I just keep telling myself it is good for me. My body has taken a beating over the years.  (worked with harness horses for years...stomped, kicked, bit, dragged and run over by a tractor...just to mention a few)

[Michael Bush]

Cappings on honey vary in color because:

Sometimes it's old wax that is being recycled.
Sometimes it has no air under that cap and it's darker (and wetter looking).
Sometimes it has air under the cap and it's more white.
New wax is sometimes bright white.
Slightly older wax is usually yellowish.
Really old wax is often brown.