Cappings

[Black Comb]

Can anyone tell me the composition difference between cell cappings (pervious) and honey cappings (impervious).
Do cell cappings contain a small amount of pollen?

thanks

 

[Easy Beesy]

I seem to remember someone telling me its propolis that makes the cappings different.....

 

[Madge]

Tautz on bees using the cell walls as a communication system:

... bees mix propolis, as an additive, to the wax of the cell rims. The proportions in which the wax and resin are mixed, and their spatial distribution, are adjusted so that the resonant properties of the wax lie in the correctly tuned range.

 

[sherwood]

The walls of cells are worked by the bees that is to say polished which includes the addition of propolis with which they strengthen them . The walls will also have residue of previous cacoons where these have been used before. Whereas the the cappings are virgin not polished as they are laid down with each new laying pattern and are therefore unworked and porous though overtime the bees feet will compact them some what.