Candles made of black bee wax

The wax is produced by our bees

From March to July, the bees have a strong need to produce wax and build combs. Every year I replace 3 body frames in each hive. This makes it possible to maintain brood in fresh waxes and to maintain a healthy climate in the colony.

A distinction must be made between two types of wax:

The so-called "body" wax

This wax is always darker, because each time the queen passes to lay eggs in the cells, the bees will deposit a thin layer of propolis to disinfect the cell and thus guarantee the queen a healthy cell. When the rays are melted to recover the wax, the latter is always darker since molecules of propolis have mixed with the wax under the effect of heat. It is for this reason that I use this wax for the production of candles.

The so-called “operculum” wax

This wax is pure and of high quality, on the one hand because it is not covered by propolis and on the other hand because it is produced in very small quantities. It is a thin layer of wax that bees make to close the honeycombs. When they believe that the honey is ripe and it is time to protect it from air and humidity for better preservation. I save this wax to make the little leader strips I use in my jamb frames. This primer will guide the bees in their construction in order to pull the waxes in the direction of the frame and to avoid an anarchic construction.