Bees wax has been used by humans for thousands of years in a very large way by the christian religions for candles. But it has been used for casting of metal statues, painting, fabrics, cosmetics and grafting.
Wax is made by four pairs of special glands on the underside of a female bees abdomen. Bees are most efficient at wax production during the 10th through the 16th days of their lives. From about day 18 until the end of its life, a bee’s wax glands steadily decline. Bees consume honey, (the bees need to eat about 8 to 10 times the weight of wax produced in Honey) causing the special wax-producing glands to covert the sugar into wax. This is then is extruded through small pores. The wax appears as small flakes on the bees’ abdomen, the excreted flakes of wax harden when they come in contact with air. At this point the flakes are essentially transparent and only become white after being chewed. It is in the mastication process that salivary secretions are added to the wax to help soften it. This also accounts for its change in colour. The wax scales are collected by another bees who will then chew and mould them into shape to make their honey comb.
A bees home is made of their wax. This is why when bees swarm they fill their tummies with Honey so they can convert this into wax when they find their new home. Bees wax has a higher melting point than wax made from petrochemicals and this allows for slower burning and a longer lasting candle. Its instant melting point is 64c but start to soften from 40c.
The fragrance and natural burn of a Bees wax candle is unsurpassed.