why is the new comb Brown

[Barry]

this is brand new comb, with it's first cycle of brood. I have never seen new comb be anything other than brilliant white. could they be tearing apart some old dark comb from the original nuc combs and repurposing it?

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[Wolfer]

I've seen it before but I don't know what causes it.

[Kathyp]

looks normal to me.  once they start using it, it darkens.  the tracking over, brood, food, etc all darken the comb.  do you have some pictures though, taken straight at the comb?  i'd like to see better pictures of that brood capping.

[Barry]

that's a better pic showing them drawing the walls of the cells up quite dark , the lower ones have nothing but possibly eggs.

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[Bush_84]

I've heard that comb color may change depending on what nectar they are bringing in.  Not sure how true it is however.

[Barry]

The thing is the comb you're seeing, is under 12 days old, of course pollen and brood rearing willm stain the comb, but not in 12 days.

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[RHBee]

The thing is the comb you're seeing, is under 12 days old, of course pollen and brood rearing willm stain the comb, but not in 12 days.

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Looks completely normal to me. I believe the coloration comes from the way the bees prepare the comb for brood.

[jayj200]

Yes I have seen white

sorry do not know about brown

But I have also seen brilliant yellow

the nectar was also bright yellow

a beek told me it was the tree they gathered from.

jay

[Barry]

thank you for the response is that you've given, don't know if it means anything but the bees are Russian hybrid, aside from a love for propolis

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[Barry]

and this is a test can anybody spot the Queen, on one of the frames. can't see her all just her long tapered abdomen

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[greenbtree]

Last year when I as installing packages, I had to go back in about 1/2 hour after installing one because I thought I had the cage oriented wrong.  In that time they had already built a streamer of comb hanging off the queen cage, and it was a solid medium brown.  I know people insist bees do not reuse wax, but I have to admit that that made me wonder.

JC

[merince]

They could be reusing the older wax or the nectar source could be leading to a darker wax.

[Barry]

the initial frames of the nucleus, were much older frames and I suspected they might be repurposing the wax because they cleared out a baseball size section of frame to make drone cells

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[ggileau]

A gentleman from Mann Lake said that when the bees make bad comb that I should cut it out and leave it for them near the entrance to reuse, so I suppose he believes that the reuse old comb.

[sc-bee]

  I know people insist bees do not reuse wax, but I have to admit that that made me wonder.
JC

Yes bees will move and re-use wax to a certain extent before conditions are conducive of drawing wax.

[Stevezone5]

and this is a test can anybody spot the Queen, on one of the frames. can't see her all just her long tapered abdomen

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Finally, a test I passed.

[Kathyp]

better.  thanks.

any of you really experienced guys have a comment on the cell cappings.  especially those in pic 2 from the middle to the left?