# Wax vs Cocoons



## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Just a solar melter won't get the job done on brood combs.

I melt up the old combs in a barrel of water over a fire. Then press all that out. What becomes of 3 barrels of old combs is about 75 lbs of golden colored beeswax. I blend that back in when melting up my cappers. It makes them smell and look better. 75 lbs for 6 hours of hot work, really not the greatest pay check. 


Would rather melt down barrels of slum. I avg. 75-80lb of beeswax from a barrel of slum and can do 2 barrels in that same 6 hours. $100 an hour, now that is a nice wage.

I no longer do slum rendering for hire. But most beekeepers find barrels of slum in there shops a waste of space. Which then ends up on my driveway. 3-4 days a year I find the time to render out mine and other barrels of slum that show up. Well worth my time.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

I have used a solar melter and also boiling water.
In both cases cocoons are not too big a problem.
In a solar melter the wax can be drained away leaving the junk behind.
In boiling water you can use methods like putting everything in a cloth back and holding it at the bottom - the wax melts out and floats to the surface.

[added] posted at the same time as THH...
I will admit I didn't pay attention to how much less (if any) I got using the solar melter so THH (who makes his living off bees) would know better.


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## TexasFreedom (Feb 25, 2016)

THH,

Thanks for the reply. A couple of questions.
1. What temp do you get the brood comb up to before pressing?
2. What do you use or recommend for pressing? I'm small scale, not doing more than 10-30 lbs at a time.
3. Or simply not worth my time with small scale? Just give it to someone larger scale?

Thanks


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Rather, I think the cocoons were absorbing the wax as it melted!

Exactly.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

I have a monster pile of slum that I usually just burn, and burn it does! Maybe this winter I'll get motivated to boil the wax out, the solar wax melter just doesn't cut it too well for getting what little wax is in that old comb out of that old comb.


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