Bee products offer great benefits in nutrition, as well as externally and functionally. One of these bee products is beeswax!

Bees make important contributions to human life with every food they produce for their own survival. The natural foods produced by bees stand out with their powerful ingredients. In addition, there are valuable treasures among the non-food products they produce with the power they derive from nature and their unique abilities. Beeswax, which worker bees use to build honeycomb, is one of the most valuable parts of these treasures!

Beeswax is a type of natural substance produced by worker bees and used in honeycomb construction. The body anatomy of young worker bees (12-18 days old) is suitable for beeswax production. A liquid substance begins to seep from the wax glands (beeswax mirror) on both sides of the segments located on the abdomen of these living creatures at certain times. This liquid substance, called beeswax, is subjected to various processes by bees.

HOW IS BEESWAX PRODUCED BY BEES?

• The liquid seeping from the wax glands accumulates in the wax pockets.

• The liquid that comes into contact with air solidifies into tiny flakes.

• Bees transport the flakes to their mouths with the help of their feet.

• The flakes are kneaded by the bees by chewing.

• The dough-like substance (beeswax) obtained is used to build honeycomb cells.

• When worker bees age and become foraging bees, the beeswax mirrors on their bodies atrophy. Thus, the worker bees' task of producing beeswax ends.

Editor's Note: Worker bees need to consume approximately 8 to 10 kilograms of honey to produce 1 kilogram (kg) of beeswax. This clearly demonstrates the value of beeswax!

WHAT IS BEESWAX USED FOR?

Beeswax is a natural substance produced by bees and used in many areas. It is the substance bees use to make honeycomb. Its most common uses include making natural and fragrant candles, cosmetic products (lip balm, cream, lotion), caring for wood and leather surfaces, natural preservation and packaging of foods like cheese, sustainable food storage wraps (beeswax wrap), art works like encaustic painting, and handicraft applications such as strengthening sewing thread. Its natural structure makes it an environmentally friendly material preferred for both domestic and industrial use.

HOW TO IDENTIFY ORIGINAL BEESWAX?

Beeswax is known as a completely natural bee product containing different aromas and various components. However, unfortunately, just like other natural products, beeswax can also be counterfeit or contain additives (paraffin, resin, ceresin, tallow, etc.). So, if you ask 'how to identify pure beeswax?', the most accurate answer is laboratory analyses.

HOW IS BEESWAX OBTAINED?

While the sources and methods used to obtain beeswax vary, they are also determining factors in the quality of the beeswax. As sources, beeswax producers prefer:

• Extracted honeycombs,

• Scrapings obtained from hives and frames,

• Honey-free honeycombs at the back of old-style top-bar hives,

• Honeycombs within damaged frames, and

• Other waxy/honeycomb parts.

Among these sources, the ones that yield the highest quality product are the cappings on the honey frames taken during honey harvest. The lemon-yellow beeswax obtained from these cappings is classified as first-grade product. To obtain first-grade beeswax, a scraping method with a cappings fork is applied. In other sources, the cappings and honeycombs, usually scraped with a knife, are placed into suitable metal containers. The beeswax, melted using lukewarm water, boiling water, or sun heat, is filtered to remove residues. In the final stage, the beeswax is dried in a moisture-free environment and made ready for use.

WHERE IS BEESWAX USED?

The cosmetic industry is where beeswax, which has been found to contain over 300 components and 50 different aromas, is most heavily used! This bee product is frequently preferred as a natural raw material in many cosmetic products such as creams, make-up products, masks, lotions, etc. Furthermore, one of the most common uses of beeswax is in beekeeping. Beekeepers use beeswax for making foundation combs in hive setup.

In addition to all these, beeswax, a substance that does not produce soot when heated, emits a pleasant smell, and has high heat resistance, is frequently used in candle making. So much so that in the past, these candles were known to illuminate the homes of only the aristocratic class and royal families due to their pleasant scent and strong light. Furthermore, the requirement that candles used in religious rituals in churches must contain a minimum of 32% beeswax is an important reason for the use of this substance in candle making!

Editor's Note: Beekeepers can reuse beeswax honeycombs many times. For this reason, honeycombs can contain high amounts of residues unsuitable for human consumption. Therefore, consuming honeycomb honey is not as beneficial an option as it might seem!

USES OF BEESWAX

• Candle making

• Cosmetic product production

• Furniture and floor polishing

• Foundation comb making in beekeeping

• Production of some paints

• Making various items waterproof

• Production and coating of medicines

• Mold making in dentistry

• Sculpture making

• Chewing gum production

• Gift item production

CANDLE MAKING WITH BEESWAX

Decorative candles made with beeswax can be found in many places, and it's also possible to make these decoration objects at home according to your taste! The necessary materials are as follows:

• Beeswax (You can choose the grammage according to the size of the candle you want to obtain.)

• Essential oils (You can choose one according to how you want your candle to smell. E.g.: Coconut oil...)

• Candle wick

• Stick

• Hot silicone

• Candle container

Preparation:

• Melt the beeswax in a suitable container using the bain-marie method.

• Remove the melted beeswax from the heat, add 1/5 ratio of coconut oil to it, and stir.

• When the mixture starts to cool, add half a teaspoon of essential oil and continue stirring.

• Glue the candle wick to the inner-middle part of the candle container with hot silicone. Wrap the wick around a stick to keep it stable during the process.

• Pour the prepared mixture into the candle container and remove the stick when it starts to solidify.

Here's your beeswax candle! You can start using your candle after three days of waiting.