>1) What is this really dark comb
Whenever any comb has been used for brood it gets dark from the coccons left in the cells. It also gets darker over time from more cocoons and from travel stains (pollen on their legs etc)
>why might it be empty
It's pretty normal in the spring to find the entire bottom box empty.
>what happened to the bee's? Yes they could have swarmed, but they were fine in April.
Bees swarm all the time. They could have swarmed, afterswarmed and afterswarmed. Or they could have died from T-mites, V-mites, Nosema, or the poulation could have been curtailed by some kind of brood disease. Chaulkbrood, European Foulbrood (EFB), American Foulbrood (AFB), Parafoulbrood, Sacbrood etc.
>2) Is there problems with letting a supper sit at home wrapped in plastic and extruded last week? It tastes fine, a little more fluid than the store stuff. How do you tell if its fermented?
If it's a little thinner than the store stuff, I'd say thats not unusual. But if it's a lot it can ferment. Was it capped? I just don't harvest it unless it's mostly capped. Fermentation can happen over a long period of time. The warmer the quicker it goes. Below 52 F and it usually doesn't ferment until it warms up.
I've never owned a refractometer and have never had it spoil, but I always wait until it's capped. The bees know what they are doing.
The only way to know for sure is to buy a refractometer and they aren't cheap.
Whenever any comb has been used for brood it gets dark from the coccons left in the cells. It also gets darker over time from more cocoons and from travel stains (pollen on their legs etc)
>why might it be empty
It's pretty normal in the spring to find the entire bottom box empty.
>what happened to the bee's? Yes they could have swarmed, but they were fine in April.
Bees swarm all the time. They could have swarmed, afterswarmed and afterswarmed. Or they could have died from T-mites, V-mites, Nosema, or the poulation could have been curtailed by some kind of brood disease. Chaulkbrood, European Foulbrood (EFB), American Foulbrood (AFB), Parafoulbrood, Sacbrood etc.
>2) Is there problems with letting a supper sit at home wrapped in plastic and extruded last week? It tastes fine, a little more fluid than the store stuff. How do you tell if its fermented?
If it's a little thinner than the store stuff, I'd say thats not unusual. But if it's a lot it can ferment. Was it capped? I just don't harvest it unless it's mostly capped. Fermentation can happen over a long period of time. The warmer the quicker it goes. Below 52 F and it usually doesn't ferment until it warms up.
I've never owned a refractometer and have never had it spoil, but I always wait until it's capped. The bees know what they are doing.
The only way to know for sure is to buy a refractometer and they aren't cheap.