CAPPINGS OF BROOD CELLS

Does the capping of brood cells contain any pollen or is it made from beeswax only? I notice that the cappings on brood cells are darker in color than the cappings used to cover cells of honey. Some beekeepers think that the reason for the darker color is that the bees which cover the cells make it this way by being over it all the time. This may be true to some extent, however I think that pollen is included in this capping and that is where the young adult bee receives its first food containing pollen as it eats itself out of the cell.

Bees normally use a mixture of wax, usually the older wax, and chewed up pupal skins to make the fibrous brood capping permeable to air. As far as we know, pollen is not incorporated as such for providing the young bee with food.