We often think of honey as “ fluid gold ” because it is such a hard - to - make , highly seek - after Apis mellifera product . Pollenand propolis , the “ bee gum ” made from Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree resin , which are roll up and processed by honeybee , are two other incredibly sanitary and nutritional products to come out of the home ofApis mellifera . But above all those hive portion perhaps the most critical , and most challenging to produce , is beeswax .
How Bees Create Wax
At around 10 days old , a distaff worker bee ’s wax secretory organ , located on the underside of her abdominal cavity , have accomplish maturity . For the next week of her life , that worker bee will rest in the beehive and produce the wax necessary to build up and revivify brood comb and honeycomb . This is a very important Book of Job , as the future of the settlement count on rearing the next generation of workers and trapping the winter stores of honey and pollen — all thing that happen in the midget hexagonal cells of the cockscomb . But here ’s the most awe-inspiring part : It require nearly 8 times the amount of honey , by mass , to make beeswax . It ’s hard and more time - consuming to make wax than it is to makehoney . Any beekeeper will secern you , wax is rightfully the unvalued Hero of Alexandria of the hive .
And as apiculturist , there will be multiplication that we have access to supererogatory wax , even if we try our best to conserve its harvest from our colonies ( as we should ) . After a honey harvest time , we ’ll have redundant wax from the cappings and sometimes comb . If we lose a colony and have discovered it before the wax moths have had a chance to take over , we can salve the old cockscomb then , too . Wheninspecting my urtication , I keep a small mason jar in my bee basket to scratch off the excess bur comb that collects while I ’m construct my way through the skeleton . Believe it or not , this bit of wax add up !
Sooner or later , we all stop up with a piffling bit ( or a caboodle bit ) of superfluous wax , and we postulate to do something with it . Here are a few ideas :
1. Make Candles
Historically speaking , this was the primary purpose for wax and one of the primary driving forces for man to attempt to domesticate the Apis mellifera . Before electricity , humans used the light of candle ( and other mean of proceed a flame lit ) for visible radiation . Making wax light today is unproblematic and fun . Although pure beeswax candles will burn with the pleasant , sweet smell of honey , you may even add constituent crucial oil to your taper for an aromatic twist .
2. Make Personal Care Items
Beeswax is the perfect carrier for numberless medicinal products , hide soothers and other toiletries . Here are just a few homemade , DIY estimate to get you set off :
Beeswax is extremely versatile and the possibilities are endless !
3. Make & Sell Bricks
Some of us are n’t handy , and that ’s all right . My first attempts at making a lip balm failed disastrously , and I discombobulate in the towel for homemade products that year . But you may know others who are depend for a natural product , want to support local apiarist , and will buy your wax for the price it commands . This could be a winnings - winnings for everyone .
Nothing sound out you have to hang onto that wax . If you do n’t give care to make something from it , or do n’t have the clientele to sell to , give it back to your bees . They ’ll appreciate having a wooden leg - up on the next season of cockscomb - edifice .
There are dozens of other rattling ways to use wax , but these are by far the easiest , most fun and , when it arrive to yield back to your hive , the most responsible for . Whatever you choose to do with it , do n’t let it go to waste ! keep that wax , or even gift it to someone who will use it . It ’s valuable material .
