BEESWAX AND CANDLES: A Hive Byproduct.

The article focuses on the production, processing, and uses of beeswax as a byproduct of beekeeping. Beeswax is secreted by worker bees during nectar flows to build storage comb and is collected by beekeepers primarily in the form of wax flakes or rough-rendered cakes. Various methods for melting and rendering beeswax are described, including double boilers and solar wax melters, with cautions about beeswax’s flammability. The article also details traditional and modern beeswax candle-making techniques, such as hand-dipping, pouring, and rolling beeswax foundation sheets around wicks. Additionally, it discusses the byproduct slumgum, a residue from wax rendering, and reflects on the ancillary nature of beeswax production, its historical uses, and potential underexplored applications.