[solong]

Hi, I have a standard lang. hive new this year. I'm new so I didn't have any drawn comb. I got a 3# package from Koehen and hived on May 13th. The number of bees has increased dramatically but they have yet to drawn anything in the second deep. I decided to go foundationless on the second deep, but I put in one frame with plastic foundation. Today I checked and the bottom box is almost all capped comb. It is yellowish and even with the depth of the comb. The surface is slightly wrinkled. I did not see the queen this inspection but it was fairly cool and a lot of bees were balled up in several places so I'm not too worried (yet.) Does this sound like more capped brood or are they putting necter or sugar water away. They have been taking about a quart of 1:1 every two days. It's been pretty rainy and cool here for several weeks. Thanks in advance.

 

[Bens-Bees]

When someone says wrinkled, it's hard to know what they consider wrinkled... but honey cappings are very wrinkled whereas worker larva cappings are only slightly wrinkled.

 

[sqkcrk]

And cappings over honey look waxy, whereas cappings over cells of larvae look papery.

New cappings over honey are quite white in color and then the bees discolor them by tracking in whatever is on their feet, probably propolis I imagine.

Whereas, caps over larvae cells looks to me like paper bag material, sorta.

 

[solong]

Well, from those responses it sounds like more brood is on the way. I guess I'm just being impatient. Thanks.