When is honey capped?

[billdean]

I have noticed during my inspection that there seems to be lot and lots of honey but none of it is capped. Does that mean there eating it or feeding it? When do they cap the honey? The brood is capped. Or is it that there may not be enough ventilation in the hive to properly cure it? All my hives seem the same. 

[sc-bee]

Depends on the flow. They will probably cap finish most.. Sometimes it don't get capped

[Caribou]

According to my reading, after the honey gets below 18% moisture.

[sc-bee]

According to my reading, after the honey gets below 18% moisture.

Sometimes they will cap it and the moisture content be above 18%, so I see folks post. I have no idea because I do not use a refractometer  But yea most people feel it is ok after capped and that is the general rule of thumb. I thought OP was looking for a time frame not moisture content... probably just my interpretation. You can not place a time in days. hours etc on it.  And some later in the season never gets capped because the cell never get filled.

[cao]

They will cap the honey when it is considered surplus.  This time of year a young hive that is growing has very little surplus.  Most is used to raise new bees.  Once they get enough bees gathering nectar they will be bringing in more then the can use.  At that point, and when it get dry enough they will start to cap it.