# Fair Price for "Low" Quality Beeswax



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

$4- $6 lb. is what I have been able to get here for bulk partially filtered solar melter wax. Not much interest in it advertised on Craigslist for $6. A competitor evidently sells cleaner blocks for $4 lb. Mann Lakes trade in price years back was around $2.25. Check with them what it is now.


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

If the brood comb has been chemically treated that wax should NOT be used for candles, only for industrial use. 
Brood comb, even if not treated, has an unpleasant odor unsuitable for candles imo, but if she still wants it, and knows it might not have a typical sweet beeswax smell, $2.75 per pound is what the supply houses were giving last time I checked, maybe a month or so ago.
Sheri


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>If the brood comb has been chemically treated that wax should NOT be used for candles, only for industrial use.

Are you concerned about the ill effect of bee medicines on persons inhaling the candle smoke? 
Would any chemical survive the temperatures of wax melting and then candle burning and still be harmful? 

I steam melted brood combs yesterday and they smelled sweeter and attracted more robbers than my solar melter going all summer melting treatment free cappings.


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Beyond the smell, yes, it is possible ill effects I take into account. Most customers prefer beeswax over paraffin due to the perception of "purity" of beeswax. IMO it would be an act of misrepresentation not to fully disclose to a customer any chemicals to which they might be exposing themselves or their children. Given the amount of "exposure" of the average candle burner it might be an overabundance of caution to be concerned but I know what my customers would say and I proceed accordingly. 

As for smell, maybe the percentage of brood to cappings wax, whether bees die on the comb, the age of comb or perhaps even the medications themselves all help to determine how badly the wax smells, and perhaps it is just more repulsive to me but when the occasional customer comes in wanting to sell predominant brood comb wax, even when it is a pretty nice color, the smell is a dead give away. YMMV.
Sheri


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