Capping
The wax seal bees place over a cell once the honey inside is ripe.
Beekeeping · also called cappings, sealed honey
Definition
Bees cap a cell only when the moisture has fallen far enough for the honey to be stable, which makes capping the colony's own judgement that the job is finished. Beekeepers use it as the harvest signal: a frame that is largely capped is ready, and one that is not may hold honey too wet to keep. The wax cappings sliced off during extraction are a valuable by-product and the cleanest wax a hive produces.
Where the word gets used loosely
Uncapped honey is sometimes harvested anyway to hit a season or a market. It is the commonest route to a jar that ferments in a cupboard.
Guide records that discuss this
See also
Other beekeeping terms
Sources
Sources
- The Biology of the Honey Bee — Harvard University Press (1987) · Textbook
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