Beeswax is a natural substance produced by honey bees, serving as a building material for their hives. It is a complex mixture primarily composed of esters of fatty acids and long-chain alcohols. This material is central to a bee colony’s life, forming the structures that support them. Its properties have also made it valuable for various human applications.
How Bees Produce Wax
Worker bees produce beeswax, a process that begins when they are young, between 12 and 18 days old. These specialized bees possess four pairs of wax-secreting glands, also known as sternal glands, located on the underside of their abdomens. To initiate wax production, bees consume honey, converting the sugars into liquid wax within their bodies.
The liquid wax is then extruded through pores in the glands, solidifying into thin scales upon exposure to air. These wax scales are approximately 3 millimeters across and 0.1 millimeters thick. A colony requires about 1,000 such scales to produce a single gram of beeswax. Bees use stiff hairs on their hind legs to scrape these scales from their abdomens, passing them to their middle legs and then to their mandibles.
Once in their mandibles, the bees chew the wax, mixing it with saliva to make it pliable for construction. This process allows them to shape the wax into structures for the hive. The ambient temperature inside the hive must be maintained between 33 to 36 degrees Celsius for wax secretion to occur. Producing beeswax is energy-intensive; bees consume 6 to 8 pounds of honey to produce 1 pound of wax.
Beeswax’s Role in the Hive
Beeswax is primary to the honey bee colony, serving as the material for constructing the honeycomb. This structure consists of hexagonal cells, a design that maximizes storage space and material efficiency. The hexagonal shape also provides strength, allowing the comb to hold weight.
Within these cells, bees store resources such as honey, which serves as their primary energy source, and pollen, a protein source. Honeycomb also functions as a nursery for the colony. The queen bee lays her eggs in these hexagonal cells, and they house the developing larvae and pupae.
Beyond storage and reproduction, beeswax contributes to the hive’s overall integrity and communication. It helps maintain temperature regulation within the hive, ensuring a stable environment for the colony. Beeswax also provides a surface for bees to cluster, deposit pheromones, and even perform communicative dances.
From Hive to Human Use
Beekeepers harvest beeswax without compromising the health of the bee colony. This is often done by collecting the wax cappings removed during honey extraction or from old comb. The raw wax is then cleaned by melting and filtering to remove impurities.
Beeswax has been used by humans for centuries due to its versatile properties. It is used in the production of candles, known for their clean burn. In the cosmetic industry, beeswax serves as an ingredient in products such as lip balms, moisturizers, and creams, providing a protective barrier that helps prevent moisture loss.
The material is also found in polishes for wood and leather, and as a waterproofing agent. A modern application includes beeswax wraps, which are reusable food storage alternatives to plastic films. These wraps are made by infusing cotton fabric with beeswax, allowing them to be molded around food items with the warmth of hands.