Bees reusing cappings?

[tjc1]

"And thanks, we'll eat the plate, too..."

I usually use a ceramic plate for this but then have to remove propolis, so I used a plastic coated paper plate instead this time.

This plate was full of wet cappings, and it was sitting on spacer sticks over the inner cover hole. Maybe I just left it in too long, but they seem to have taken most of the cappings - and started eating the plate, too! The hole in the plate was located right over the inner cover hole.

[sc-bee]

Look for the capping on the bottom board, under the screen, or out front of the hive. They dry them but do not re-use the wax....at least not to an extent you would notice. That is why I will not say never.... and because I am looking for a particular individual to disagree regardless 

[eltalia]

"And thanks, we'll eat the plate, too..."

Likely "preaching to the converted" but long known are the habits of a strong
hygenic colony in removing _any_ detritus found within the hive body.
It is not unusual to find wild colonies with absolutely no "rubbish" present
where the lower extent is part of the entrance structure, even when said
entrance is large enough to allow birds/lizards/frogs/bugs entry with obvious
sign within the hive body the bees have made their own space, chewing at
surrounds.
What is interesting about the reactive in that pix is that they are into a plastic
coated object - I would have thought not and used a plaatic coated plate for
that very reason.
As our Carolinian friend has commented, the leavings should now be dust on
the bottom board or invisible within the immediate surronds of the entrance...
... assuming you know better than to be using SBBs


Cheers.

Bill

[tjc1]

Ummm - well I DO have an sbb on but with the bottom board in if that provides me some cover... . In fact, that is what should have clued me sooner - I found a pile of stuff that wasn't quite wax and wasn't quite paper on said board the day before and puzzled over it... It must be because I left it in too long - they had been busily licking the wax clean without removing it for several days - then obviously got tired of waiting for me to take it out.

[eltalia]

Yeah, no Ted... to be clear,  SSBs have their use in particular (temporary) circumstance, so some likely
_must_ use them in those times. Accompanied (complemented) by a closure 'shim' - as you have -  it
is only the design of the whole of the apparatus (sp?) in not mothering pest hidey holes that then is
paramount. My treatise on airpaths should explain why it is so, when I get to posting it ... heh.

re: housecleaning, it is interesting to read they treat lump sugar as detritus also, when not requiring
supplement. I do not feed, never have - and hopefully will never have to - so have nil experience in that
process. I would have thought they would pack the chew away in much the same way pollen is stored
.... but I read, not so, as they do in fact toss it out the door, fascinating :-)

Cheerio...


Bill

[amun-ra]

just in the las t few weeks i have watched my bees chewing on wax in the yard and storing it in the pollen sacks why

[tjc1]

Are you sure that it's wax? I have seen bees gather propolis from old equipment and store it on their pollen baskets.

[BeeMaster2]

The bees in my observation hive sometimes store wax on the glass. Then at certain times of the year they will clean it off the glass and use it. Usually they use it with pollen to cap brood. Some of the brood cappings are made with new wax. It is very light colored. When they reuse wax, it is darker.
I have never seen bees carry wax. Not saying they cannot, just haven't seen it.
Jim

[sc-bee]

Yes bee will re-use wax/move it inside the hive. Put some new wax foundation in a hive late in the season after flow is over and see what happens to it.  It will look like Swiss Cheese But they don't bother with cappings....

[Acebird]

... assuming you know better than to be using SBBs

I use SBB's on all my hives.  I use to keep them wide open right through winter until in the spring I discovered the bottom bars of each frame completely mortared together.  It seems the bees use everything to make this motor.  It is not just propolise but the propolise is the cementing agent.  Today the SBB's are still on the bottom of my hives but I close off the bottom of the hive so free air cannot enter.  This eliminates the cementing job that the bees use to do.
Another place I see wax and propolise reused is in burr comb.  Having an engineering background I can see where honeybees are great structural engineers.  They use materials they have available to strengthen their structures.  I am amazed how close this mortar they make resembles a brick.
I would expect that the reuse of wax to draw comb doesn't happen too often because it would require very warm temperatures to stick it together and a desperate need for comb when they don't have the ability to make it from bee secretions.  I let the bees clean cappings in the spring and the fall.  Neither is a time I would expect the bees to reuse the wax.

[eltalia]

@Acebird

You are a structural engineer...?.. how interesting, you will have
no problem following my coming treatise on airpaths in a colony :-}

Compliments.

Bill

[yes2matt]

Newbee-Q: please clarify in this discussion whether the S is for screen or solid?

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk

[BeeMaster2]

The S is for screen.
Jim

[Acebird]

@Acebird

You are a structural engineer...?

No I did not attain an engineering degree.  After getting an Associate degree in civil technology I went to work for a unique group of people building automated textile machines.  And many more companies in the machinery business after that.  However I think I can follow air paths in a hive if it were static.  In a live hive the bees are equipped with air foil devices called wings and they can greatly influence both temperature and moisture and air flow in the hive.
Still I would be interested in what you have to say.

[eltalia]

@Acebird

You are a structural engineer...?

No I did not attain an engineering degree. 

Ah... okay, thanks for the clarification.
Down(?) here "engineer" is limited to tertiary college graduates.
In other places I have often read folks doing servicing of automobiles - and that
after "night school" training -  claiming the term, and defending such as ridgy didge.
Such workers here are known as "TA's" - trade assistants.

You should have no problem following along what you describe - aka "forced draught" airpaths.

Compliments.

Bill

[Acebird]

Don't forget lots of terms / words that the British use we made them the opposite meaning just to screw with their heads.

[eltalia]

Don't forget lots of terms / words that the British use we made them the opposite meaning just to screw with their heads.

Issat like "journeyman talk" engineers tolerate within project thinktanks..

Bill

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(edit thaipoe)

[tjc1]

I recall hearing a story about an Italian war bride who was impressed with her GI beau's job description as 'engineer' - dismayed to find on coming to the US that it did not carry the same professional prestige as the Italian title of 'Ingeniere'!

[eltalia]

I recall hearing a story about an Italian war bride who was impressed with her GI beau's job description as 'engineer' - dismayed to find on coming to the US that it did not carry the same professional prestige as the Italian title of 'Ingeniere'!

Italians (eyeties) own no professional borders, a country of innovators - and in past
times, conquerors - it is was possible to be throwing pizzas in a Lugo shoppe/cafe
one day and be an engineer the next, and brilliant at it.
Italians are all about "image"... check out the gold neck chains. Can you say
"Stallone" ?...heh heh
THINK Ducati - vrooom vrooooooom.
Gotta love that showy  ride :-))

Cheers.

Bill
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[edited software glitch]

[GSF]

I've noticed cells in the hive filled solid with wax, just like honey or pollen. You won't find a ton of them but they're there.