Geohoney
How Bees Master Wax Making?
January 09, 2025
Honey bees have to fulfill many roles during their lifetime including nectar collection, honey making, hive creation, etc. However, there is one more amazing thing that bees are skilled in doing.
Bees are masters at making wax or beeswax which serves as the foundational material for their hives. Apart from that, this wax is also used by humans for things like candles, cosmetics, or food-safe wraps.
The CEO of B A Barry Group and the founder of Geohoney, Mr Basem Barry says
“Just like pure raw honey, beeswax is also a valuable commodity that finds countless applications in medicine, skin care, beauty industry, and many more.”
This blog delves into how bees make wax in their hives. So, if you are interested in the process behind beeswax creation then keep on reading till the end.
- What is Beeswax?
- The Making of Wax by the Bees: Explained
- How Do Honey Bees Use Beeswax?
What is Beeswax?
Beeswax refers to a very specific secretion that worker bees produce. Beeswax features a very complex composition that contains fatty acid esters and some 200 other minor components.
Initially, this wax has a light-yellow color due to the pollen content. As time passes, the color changes into golden yellow and then brown from contact with the bees and propolis.
Beeswax is a resilient substance with a melting point of 64.5oC which makes it highly stable. Beeswax becomes brittle when the temperature reaches below 18oC. This shows how the honeycomb made from the beeswax can stay intact from season to season thus ensuring the survival of bee colonies throughout the year.
The Making of Wax by the Bees: Explained
The process of wax creation is somewhat lengthy but don’t worry because in this section we will try to explain it in a very simple way.
The process starts on a flower field where bees forage to collect the nectar and pollen that they bring to the hive. Honeybees feed primarily on honey that they make. They also use this honey to raise their brood.
However, the honey that is left afterward is stored in the hive to be eaten in the winter months when there are no flowers available that bees can forage for the nectar.
The beeswax production is vital for the survival and growth of a bee colony. It is the material that bees use to construct their hives which then serves as the storage for the pollen and surplus honey as well as the grounds for raising their brood.
Process
Worker bees are responsible for producing wax. These bees have a 35-day lifespan during which they develop four pairs of special glands on their abdomens specifically on the inner sides of the sternites of the abdominal segments 4 to 7.
The peak period for the wax production for these bees is between their 10th to 16th day. During this time, the bees can produce about 8 scales of wax in 12 hours. To make a single gram of beeswax, the bee colony needs about 1000 wax scales.
From day 18, the wax-producing glands gradually decline until the bee passes away.
As a side note, a bee usually consumes about 6 to 8 pounds of honey to create one pound of wax. When bees consume honey, the wax-producing glands convert the sugar into wax which is excreted through tiny openings or pores appearing as small flakes on the abdomen of the bee. The flakes are then chewed by other bees.
These transparent flakes turn white after the bees chew on them. During the mastication process, bees add salivary secretions to the wax which results in it becoming softer accompanied by a change in its color.
The process that bees use to transfer the honey wax scales from their abdomen to the mandibles can take place in one of the following two ways.
As most of what goes on in a hive is a product of bee cooperation, it means that other worker bees take part in removing the wax scales from their neighbors and then chew on them.
Another method is when the same bee that extrudes the wax processes her own wax scales. They do this by using one hind leg to move the wax scale to the forelegs. The forelegs then transfer the wax scales to their mandibles for mastication. This wax is then used for the construction or the repair of the combs.
For the perfect manipulation of the beeswax in a hive, the hive temperature needs to be around 95 F. If the temperature is very high i.e., around 149 F the beeswax can melt. And if the temperature is too low, it can become brittle and that can make it prone to breakage.
How Do Honey Bees Use Beeswax?
Following are a few ways honey bees use beeswax
- Honey bees use it to store honey as well as pollen.
- Bees use the wax to build their home which gives them shelter throughout the year.
- The queen bees lay eggs in the hexagonal cells made from the beeswax.
- Bees use wax to cap the cells filled with honey which protects the honey from moisture and spoilage.
- Bees mix the wax with tree resins to produce bee propolis which is a thick sticky material that is used to seal cracks and reinforce the hive.
Conclusion
Beeswax is truly an amazing substance that honeybees create after careful processing. Bees use it for making their hives and keeping the honey safe. Humans use this material for making beauty products, candles, food preservatives, and several natural remedies.
The worker bees collect nectar to make honey which they regurgitate. As other bees feed this honey, they create wax which they excrete. This excreted wax is again chewed by the bees which leads to the beeswax formation. The beeswax is then either used to create hives by the bees or it is harvested by the beekeepers for selling.
Visit GEOHONEY today to buy the best pure monofloral honey as well as honeycomb and beeswax products at very reasonable rates.