Hi Elizabeth:  You received pretty good replies.
!) BROOD cappings are light yellow getting darker daily as the bees tread
their DIRTY FEET on them. You will learn through experience about how old the
pupa is by the capping color.
   HONEY cappings tend to be white to light yellow.  Two parameters control
this:
Certain races of bees make water white cappings compared to other races; and
this MAY be a consideration of a COMB HONEY PRODUCER; and, repeating, bees
have dirty feet, so the longer capped honey is left in the colony, the more
yellow the cappings become.
    As long as I am writing to you again, I will chat with you a tad.  Did you
know Dr. Orly Taylor at Kansas State?  I worked with him on the AHB in South
America.
If you get THE HIVE AND THE HONEYBEE, accept nothing but the 1992 Revised
Edition.  Forget 1200 of the 1300 pages and memorize Chapter 8 by Dr. Norm
Gary
about BEE BEHAVIOR.  Understanding bee behavior (thinking like a bee) is the
difference between HAVING bees and KEEPING bees. I hope Diana Sammanturo
second printing is out. It was due 4/15 with Larry Connor.  SUPER beginners
book!
    I almost forgot your second question.  GOOD beekeepers try to keep their
brood frames CHOICE (like good steak).  Bad comb leads to drone brood, no
brood, burr comb joining two frames, and killing bees or the queen as you
handle them.  Hence, even though a loss now, Deep Six that bad comb, and put
all frames tight together, leaving any left over space between frame #1 and
hive wall and #10 and hive wall.  ALWAYS DRAW FOUNDATION WITH 10 FRAMES.  If
you would prefer to 9 frames, you only do it with DRAWN COMB FRAMES, never
foundation.  I use 10 frames for brood, and 9 frames for honey; both made from
Dadants Plasticell
foundation.  If that had been invented 65 years ago when I started, I would
have been their first buyer.  Except for comb honey production, I wouldn't go
back to wax foundation if it was free with the frame wiring, distortion,
breakage in cold weather, etc, etc.
     DR. James Bach, Chief apiary inspector up in Yakima, Wash. is not too far
from you and knows Oregon.  His e mail address is:
           [log in to unmask]           or          [log in to unmask]
Jim is very sharp, likes to teach and help, and your doctorate in entomology
will attract him.  Tell him "Old George said get hold of Jim Bach"
      Your Oregon man, Mike Bergeot is supposed to be at EAS this July; maybe
he will come to my queen workshop, and I will mention you to him.
Good luck, and LEARN, LEARN!                George