# Beeswax sources



## DewBee (Mar 24, 2011)

I see everywhere that wax cappings are used to make beeswax. My question is can you also use honey or brood comb wax?


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## FindlayBee (Aug 2, 2009)

Yes you can. Brood comb will produce a darker wax.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Old brood combs are full of cocoons. The cocoons often soak up more wax than you can get out of old brood comb. The other issue is most people use pesticides and other things that will get into the wax and this is concentrated more in the brood area of the hive.


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## DewBee (Mar 24, 2011)

well I was thinking of having the bees create their own comb every year, and utilizing the comb and cappings for beeswax products. I understand that usually means the comb building slows down honey production, but I'm not yet at the point where i think I need to worry about it.

In addition, how difficult is the logistics of cultivating the brood comb? I imagine there's a small lag time between new bees emerging and the queen laying new brood in the same comb, since they'll need to be cleaned and prepped, correct?


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

DewBee said:


> In addition, how difficult is the logistics of cultivating the brood comb? I imagine there's a small lag time between new bees emerging and the queen laying new brood in the same comb, since they'll need to be cleaned and prepped, correct?


It's pretty straightforward and fast, plus the queen isn't often waiting with legs crossed for cells to open up. As a frame is hatching out, she's laying somewhere else, and by the time she's hankering for a new comb they're prepped. They really don't have to do that much to get them ready; larvae and pupae don't defecate in the cell, so the old cocoon is polished and cell's ready typically.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You won't get any more wax by stealing brood comb. The bees will be set back. If you aren't contaminating it with chemicals, I see no reason to take it or to make the bees work that hard to replace it. If you are contaminating it with chemicals, then the bees will be healthier for you getting it out...


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## DewBee (Mar 24, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> You won't get any more wax by stealing brood comb. The bees will be set back.


Good point. I think I read somewhere that the brood comb should be replaced roughly every 3 years or so, though I can't remember the reason off the top of my head at the moment...Would the comb then be usable for candle making (amongst other things), or would it lose its aesthetic appeal by then?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

What I'm trying to say is that there is no significant amount of wax to be extracted from a brood comb. The cocoons soak it all up. If you have a steam heated wax press perhaps you could extract some wax from them, but It's doubtful it will be much.


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## DewBee (Mar 24, 2011)

Wow, I did not know that. For some reason, I just assumed the wax stayed put and that cocoons were thin, paper-ish, debris that gets removed during the cleaning process. Thanks for the info!


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