Lesson 75: Beeswax

Where wax comes from, how to render cappings into clean wax, and what it's good for

Every time you extract honey, you end up with wax cappings, and old combs you cull (lesson 53) are mostly wax too. Beeswax is a valuable by-product: you can trade it for new foundation, sell it, or make candles, balms and polishes.

Where beeswax comes from

Young worker bees make wax from eight wax glands on the underside of the abdomen (lesson 8). The wax comes out as thin, clear scales, which the bees chew to soften and shape into comb. Wax is costly for bees to make: they eat about a pound of honey to make a couple of ounces of wax (sources give roughly 7–8 pounds of honey per pound of wax; lesson 10). That's why beekeepers reuse drawn comb whenever they can.

New wax is white. Comb darkens with use: brood comb collects cocoons left by each bee that grows up in the cell, plus propolis and pollen stains. Cappings wax is the cleanest, lightest wax you'll get; old brood comb gives less wax, and darker wax.

Rendering wax (cleaning it)

"Rendering" means melting wax and separating it from honey, dirt, cocoons and bee parts.

Cappings (the easy way): 1. Drain the cappings well after extracting (lesson 72), letting honey drip through a screen for a day or two. 2. Wash them in water to rinse off the remaining honey. 3. Melt them gently, with water in the pot, or over a water bath (double boiler), never over direct flame. 4. Strain the melted wax through cheesecloth, nylon or a fine filter into a mold (bread pans or similar). 5. Let it cool slowly; the remaining dirt settles to the bottom of the block, where you can scrape it off. Re-melt and re-strain for cleaner wax.

A solar wax melter is a glass-topped box that melts wax with the sun's heat and lets it drip through a strainer into a pan. It's simple, free to run, and safe, and handles both cappings and old combs, though very dark comb yields little.

Safety: wax is flammable

• Beeswax melts at about 145–150°F and can catch fire if it gets too hot.
• Never melt wax over an open flame or directly on a burner. Use water, a double boiler, or a solar melter.
• Never leave melting wax unattended, and keep a lid nearby to smother a fire. Never put water on a wax fire.
• Use old pots you keep just for wax; it's very hard to clean off.
• Don't pour wax or wax water down a drain; it hardens and clogs pipes.

Uses for beeswax

• Trade for foundation: bee supply companies will turn your beeswax into new foundation or give credit toward it, a real saving.
• Candles: beeswax candles burn clean and long with a light honey scent.
• Cosmetics and balms: lip balms, lotions, salves, soaps.
• Polishes for wood, furniture and leather; waterproofing; crafts like crayons and batik.
• Sell it: clean wax blocks sell to crafters and candle makers.

What to remember

• Young workers make wax from eight abdominal glands; it costs bees a lot of honey, so reuse comb.
• Cappings give the best wax. Drain, wash, melt gently with water, strain, mold, scrape.
• Never heat wax over an open flame; never leave it unattended; never water on a wax fire.
• Wax can be traded for foundation or made into candles, balms and polishes.

Quick check

1. Where on the bee is wax made?
2. Why melt wax with water or in a double boiler instead of directly on the burner?
3. Name two things you can do with rendered beeswax.

Adapted from: UGA Bee Program, Getting Started: Processing Honey; Delaplane, Honey Bees and Beekeeping (UGA Bulletin 1045, rev. 2017); Purdue Extension, Understanding the Honey Bee (4-H-571), Learning About Beekeeping (4-H-1057) and Advanced Beekeeping (4-H-1059); University of Arkansas, Complete Beekeeping Short Course, Parts 4 and 9; Utah State University Extension, Thriving Hives: The Apiary; UF/IFAS Extension, Welcome to the Apiary! (4H446, 2024).

Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.