From bees, people get not only honey, propolis, bee bread, but also other unique products, such as wax. This is not a waste of bee production, as many people think. It is needed not only for the insects themselves, but is also widely used by people.

Characteristics and composition of wax

This bee product is a substance with a complex biochemical composition. It is also officially registered as a food supplement. The product is white, yellow and even green - it all depends on the content of propolis in it.

Important! The human body does not digest wax, so it makes no sense to eat it. They chew it for several minutes and spit it out.

The composition of this unique product is not yet fully understood. It includes about 300 chemical elements.

In general, we can say that it consists of:

• 70% - from complex essential substances;
• 15% from hydrocarbon compounds;
• 14% from fatty acids;
• the rest is water.

It also has various alcohols, vitamins, impurities of pollen, propolis, honey.

Beeswax Properties

Bee building material has its own distinctive properties:

1. It cannot be dissolved in water, but it can be done in alcohol, essential oils, gasoline, paraffin.
2. It becomes soft at a temperature of + 35 ° C.
3. Its melting point is + 68 ° C.
4. It burns at + 300 ° С.

Did you know? How high-quality wax is is checked by melting - a substance with impurities will begin to change color or exfoliate.

How bees make wax

Many are interested in where bees get wax. On the abdomen of young bees there are special glands that are arranged in pairs. A substance is released through the pores of these glands, which solidifies on the surface and forms solid wax plates weighing up to 0.25 mg.The process itself is very complex: on the 10th day of its life, a bee begins to intensively consume honey and pollen in order to accumulate the required amount of enzymes.

What is wax for in the life of bees?

During the season, one bee family gives up to 2 kg of such building material, which is used to build honeycombs. It also has antibacterial properties that protect unripened honey from fermentation. Thanks to him, nectar does not mold in high humidity.

How bees make wax honeycombs

To understand where the honeycombs come from and how they are made, it is enough to observe the striped toilers. Honeycombs are layers made up of cells. Their thickness is 25 mm. Layers of honeycombs are attached to the ceiling vertically down. The distance between them is 10-12 mm - this makes it possible for insects not to touch each other. Toilers begin their construction from the top. They hang upside down, forming chains.

Did you know? In ancient Greece, children’s toys were made from beeswax, as well as corks for vessels with drinks, coated the sides of ships and writing boards.

The first bee fastens its paws to the ceiling, and the next one clings to its hind legs. So a chain is formed. Insects that secrete wax are released and run up. Jaws, with the help of legs, they grind its scales. Then they are moistened and mixed with maxillary secretions. The resulting mixture is divided into small parts and laid in the place of construction of the honeycomb. So gradually the structure that we are used to seeing is formed.

What functions do cells perform?

Depending on the location, the cells in the cells have different purposes:

• bee - they breed brood, store honey and bee bread;
• drone;
• mother liquors - to withdraw the uterus;
• honey - at the top and sides.

So, in addition to storing honey, bees use honeycombs to house their families and grow young animals.

The use of beeswax

People from ancient times have learned to use this bee product in different industries.

Today it is used in the following areas:

• soap making;
• impregnation of leather shoes and its polishing;
• cosmetology - creams, balms;
• pharmaceuticals - suppositories, ointments, emulsions;
• electrical engineering - sensors, insulating tapes;
• manufacture of paints and varnishes;
• in traditional medicine.

How to store

The product is stored very well. The main thing: do not keep it near products with a sharp aroma, as it easily absorbs external odors. As containers, linen bags, glassware, paper bags are used.

Bees are unique insects. It is difficult to find at least one other living being so useful in its existence. Everything that they produce is, to one degree or another, used by man. This also applies to wax - a beekeeping product that is widely used in many areas of human life.