What is Beeswax?

Where does Beeswax come from?

Beeswax (cera alba) is a natural wax that forms the structure of the honeycomb and is produced by honey bees of the genus Apis.The beeswax is secreted in liquid form from eight wax-producing glands on the worker bee’s abdomen.  The bees are generally between twelve and twenty days old when they start producing beeswax and they hang in chains when secretion occurs. The wax solidifies as soon as it hits the air and formed into scales. The bees manoeuvre these scales to their mouth and chew on them to soften them; so that the wax can be manipulated into the shape they are needed.

They use the wax to form the walls and caps of the comb. The new beeswax is quite clear in colour, due to the lack of impurities. It eventually changes colour after being in contact with pollen and nectar turning yellow before it turns brown. As with honey, beeswax is gathered by humans for various purposes.