Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: zzzzzzzzpr on May 05, 2014, 01:35:20 pm

Title: brown caps and old comb
Post by: zzzzzzzzpr on May 05, 2014, 01:35:20 pm

I notice when I open my hive I had some brown caps. what does this mean? should I cut out the old comb so that they need to make more or let them cont.

Title: Re: brown caps and old comb
Post by: BeeMaster2 on May 05, 2014, 01:45:34 pm

Quote from: zzzzzzzzpr on May 05, 2014, 01:35:20 pm

I notice when I open my hive I had some brown caps. what does this mean? should I cut out the old comb so that they need to make more or let them cont.

It means that you have capped brood.
The color of the cap is dependent on what the bees used to make the cap. In my observation hive, on the old frame, dark brown comb, the cap would be medium brown. On the frame above that, on new comb, it would be light beige.
They use wax, pollen and propolis to make the cap breath. If it was all wax the brood would suffocate to death.
Jim