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I was examining my attic with a head lamp and the light illuminated the wood just right and these amber drops started to glow. wood closeup

They are on the surface of a lot of the wood in the attic.

What is it and what is causing this?

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    Yeah, that's sap. Gigantic amounts of it might indicate a piece of inferior wood, but the amount shown, in that location, is not a problem. The worst thing about it is that it's really sticky if you brush up against it.
    – Hot Licks
    Oct 22, 2016 at 18:13
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    Maybe the amber substance is just that, amber
    – Anthony X
    Oct 22, 2016 at 23:27

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"it's sap crystals that have been extruded from the wood due to high attic temperatures. We see more of this sap staining when the wood used for framing was not kiln dried before construction." Inspectapedia

Sap in painted wood will cause staining but it is ok in the attic.

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    You might want to add that it is nothing to worry about. Sap in painted wood causes staining, but in the attic it is no problem.
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Oct 22, 2016 at 14:34

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