# Serious Concern - capped honey has black blotches in it



## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

Is it pollen at the bottom of the cell? Can you describe the blotches?


----------



## Tilopa (Feb 16, 2015)

This is a picture I found on the internet, as I can't take a picture until later. but this if you look at the upper right corner and the upper left corner where the capped honey is, can you see how it has black in it?

This is exactly how mine looks. What is that? Is it a problem?

Thanks.


----------



## Mradamhopkins (Jun 20, 2014)

Not an issue. If I'm not mistaken ( new bee here) it's wet capping vs dry capping


----------



## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Take a toothpick and see if there's anything in it, I've seen old comb where the bees have propolized the cells shut.


----------



## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Looks like the fall honey I get. When you uncap it the honey most likely will be dark.


----------



## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

"Does anyone know what this could be?"
If I understand what you are referring to, it is honey directly touching the fresh cell cap at the bottom of each cap versus the lighter appearing upper part of each cap that has a pocket of air behind it in the upper part of the cell. Picture a partially full soft drink cup with a lid on it partially tipped over.


----------



## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

As honey gets older the capping get darker. Is it this years or older? Also some wax is just a different color and someone has also mentioned dry vs wet capped. If older sometimes it is crystallized beneath. It is normal and a non-issue.


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Honey in brood comb and probably reused cappings.


----------



## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

As JRG13 said plus travel stain on the comb. The bees are walking on this bomb and tracking in dust, debris and it accumulates. This picture was taken from a frame in the brood nest. Can you explain if the honey you see is in the first second or third , possibly fourth box? Do the hives have queen excluders? Honey from tropical areas is much darker than most Canadian and American honey.

Jean-Marc


----------



## Tilopa (Feb 16, 2015)

This is this years honey, still in the hive. Yes, our honey is definitely dark, like a dark amber.

Mradamhopkins and Riverderwent - your explanation makes sense to me, I think that is what I'm referring to, and I'm too new to recognize what should be obvious.



JRG13 said:


> Honey in brood comb...


Do you mean the bees put honey in a cell previously used for brood? I hope you're not suggesting there is brood in my capped honey, how could that happen?



jean-marc said:


> ...explain if the honey you see is in the first second or third , possibly fourth box? Do the hives have queen excluders?
> Jean-Marc


It was in the top box of a 2 box hive. We have no Q-excluder and the frames I'm referring to have nothing but capped honey full on both sides.

Part of my confusion is that some of the capped honey is a pure golden-yellow, like in this photo at the top.


----------



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Surely, he must meant that the honey in the cell previously used as 
the brood cells. No bee will deliberately deposit nectar into a cell with larvae or egg in it. I am sure your honey is just fine.
In the center is the capped broods then a layer band of pollen follow by a layer band of honey/nectar.


----------



## Sovek (Apr 27, 2014)

Is that a top bar hive with vertical sides? If so can you PLEASE post some more pics? I'm thinking of doing something similar either next year or the year after that and its hard to find anyone who has built their tops bars as such.


----------



## Eddie Honey (May 30, 2011)

The only capped honey is around the top of the frame and looks normal.


----------



## Eddie Honey (May 30, 2011)

Normal


----------



## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

The OP said to look in the upper right, I thought it was those two cells. If it's the cappings over all, it's normal sealed comb that's been traveled on. If some are lighter than others, might be a air bubble as said, or just thicker wax.


----------

