# What to do with the waste leftover from rendering wax



## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

What do I do with all the stuff left after I render wax. I don't want to just throw it in the woods. I am afraid that it would attract hive beetles. If I bury it, would that keep the hive beetles away, or would they still smell it and dig their way to it?

Kyle


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I let it cool and throw it in the trash.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

If you know any bear hunters and baiting is allowed, give it to them.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

It makes a great fire starter too!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

It is organic, I give it back to the earth.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Use it to rub the inside of swarm traps.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> It makes a great fire starter too!


That's what I do. I pour it over paper towels and then cut it up for fire starters.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Put it in shallow pie pans, allow to harden, then put one in each of your swarm boxes to give them that natural bee smell.

cchoganjr


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## Bear Creek Steve (Feb 18, 2009)

I'm a waste not/want not kind of guy. I make a funnel shape or cone out of 1/2 inch hardware cloth, line it on the inside with a paper towel, fill it with scrap bees wax to be refined, put it on top of a bucket containing an inch of water in my solar wax melter, and render the wax. The upper part of the paper towel which is wax saturated can be used as tinder to start your smoker, and the slum gum in the bottom of the cone can be used to start your Bar-B-Q charcoal fire.








Steve


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## Gazelle (May 17, 2015)

Learned something new today!


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## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks folks!
Kyle


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

If you have done a proper job of rendering, there should be no honey or wax left behind. What is left should be good to compost for the garden, especially if there are any old cocoons in it, they are mostly protein, and are high in nitrogen.

Crazy Roland


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

I sell it for 0.5 $ per pound. :thumbsup:


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## Ronnie Elliott (Mar 24, 2004)

I never read about putting water into the solar wax melter. I built one, but only got drippings into pan.


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## Bear Creek Steve (Feb 18, 2009)

Ronnie,

From Post # 9. The purpose of the water in the wax catching bucket in a solar wax melter is for the ease of removing the solidified wax. During the refining process the liquid wax drips and floats on the water in the bucket. Once the bees wax has solidified it can be easily removed as opposed to either scraping it loose from the bucket or re-melting it and pouring it out.

Steve


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

If your slum gum is solid and not friable, do over. The final waste should crumble in your hands. 

Crazy Roland


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## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

Roland said:


> If you have done a proper job of rendering, there should be no honey or wax left behind. What is left should be good to compost for the garden, especially if there are any old cocoons in it, they are mostly protein, and are high in nitrogen.
> 
> Crazy Roland


Thanks. The cocoons and bits are what I was talking about. A lot of folk answered my question as if I were talking about wax, but I don't consider wax to be waste.


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## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

BernhardHeuvel said:


> I sell it for 0.5 $ per pound. :thumbsup:
> 
> Who buys it? What do they want it for?
> Kyle


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Reptile keepers use it to grow their own reptile food: wax moths. They make some sort of pollen patty to feed the wax moth larvae and use the leftover as an additive to the dough. I am melting monthly and they take whatever amount I produce. They want it all.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

How far away are you hives from the wax moth farm?


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## Treehopper (Dec 9, 2012)

Acebird said:


> How far away are you hives from the wax moth farm?


That would be MY concern!!!


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## Kidbeeyoz (May 8, 2013)

My compost worms seem to like the left overs too.


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Seriously? First it is indoor wax moth farming and secondly it is 300 miles away from where I live...so not much of a concern to me.

The only problem is tax, since the German tax laws don't know wax leftovers and so I don't know what tax rate to calculate with.


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## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

BernhardHeuvel said:


> Reptile keepers use it to grow their own reptile food: wax moths. They make some sort of pollen patty to feed the wax moth larvae and use the leftover as an additive to the dough. I am melting monthly and they take whatever amount I produce. They want it all.


That is a great market to know about. I need to look for some folk around my neck of the woods to sell to.
Thanks,
Kyle


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## Michael H. (Oct 28, 2015)

I've heard that adding a bit of slum gum to your smoker calms really agressive hives. I'm planning on trying it out this season.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

BernhardHeuvel said:


> Seriously? First it is indoor wax moth farming



This made me laugh! I should probably sell mine, but I don't, I just give it to the local wax moth farmer and he hooks me up with fish bait once in awhile.


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