How Bees Wax Is Made

Bees are an important part of our planet. They work hard at pollenating our lush greens and vibrant flowers, keeping crops expanding. Globally there are more honey bees than there are any other types of pollinating insects and bees. What this means is that they are the world’s most vital pollinators of food crops.

Analytics have provided some stark information in relation to the honey bees which indicates that one third of food that is consumed by humans each year relies on the pollination of insects, mainly bees. We hear a lot about how honey bees create honey, but how do they make wax?

Between 12-20 days old, honey bees develop a special wax-producing gland located in their abdomen. The gland converts sugar from the honey into a wax like substance. The honey bee then deposits the flakes of wax from their abdomen.

The small flake deposits are then collected by other bees and chewed in their mouths as they add them to a wax foundation provided by beekeepers as a stepping stone, assisting the bees in their honeycomb construction. If the bees are in the wild, they begin constructing the honey comb from scratch.

The bees keep their hives at a constant temperature which helps to keep the wax at the right consistency, making it easy to manipulate, allowing the bees to build their homes.

Bees wax is harvested in the same way that raw honey is harvested. Beekeepers pull the beehive fames which are typically filled with honey, protected with a layer of beeswax. The beeswax is then scratch off the honeycomb. Collecting natural beeswax in this way means only a small portion of wax can be harvest at one time, which is what makes beeswax so expensive.

The collected wax is then boiled and filtered to remove from it any impurities and pieces. What beekeepers are then left with is a beautiful natural and pure beeswax. Beeswax has many properties which make them great for candle and wax melt usage, making it superior to other waxes. In candles use, beeswax burns brighter and for longer. When our NOAHH beeswax is burnt, either in candle form or wax melt, they produce negative ions which bond with airborne toxins. Together they fall to the floor thus purifying the air. Why not take a look into NOAHHs collections to find out more.