"Pure beeswax is secreted in the form of tiny fish scale-like discs by four pair of glands separating the abdomen segments in 12-18 day old worker (female) honey bees. The bee rakes the wax disc off with combs on one hind leg and passes it to the front two legs (yes, the bee is now standing on three of its six legs) which move it to the strong jaws. The jaws chew it into malleable wax which the bees use to build their amazingly light and strong honeycomb -- cells where the young are reared and where pollen and honey are stored. Wax production is incredibly energy-taxing -- bees must consume eight ounces of honey for each ounce of wax they make.
"Modern day engineers and architects marvel at the perfection of the hexagon shaped wax cells with the 110 and 70 degree angles. This design is the strongest, most efficient for maximum storage, and the perfect angles for cradling the young larvae."
The Story of Beeswax
Honey Bees and Heather Farm
"A honeycomb constructed from beeswax is nothing short of a triumph of engineering. It consists of hexagon shaped cylinders (six-sided) that fit naturally side-by-side. It has been proven by mathematicians that making the cells into hexagons is the most efficient shape. The smallest possible amount of wax is used to contain the highest volume of honey. It has also been shown to be one of the strongest possible shapes while using the least amount of material. "
How Bees Make Wax
Beeswax Company, LLC
"The glandular secretions of honeybees can do more than divide the cells of a hive; beeswax-based paint-coated walls in Ancient Greece and copies of the Magna Carta were delivered in 1215 bearing a beeswax seal. These days, it's mostly an ingredient in candles and cosmetics, but you can visit a craft store or a farmers' market, pick up a cake of it, and put it to work around the house as well."
10 Uses for Beeswax
By: Harry Sawyers, This Old House magazine
"Modern day engineers and architects marvel at the perfection of the hexagon shaped wax cells with the 110 and 70 degree angles. This design is the strongest, most efficient for maximum storage, and the perfect angles for cradling the young larvae."
The Story of Beeswax
Honey Bees and Heather Farm
"A honeycomb constructed from beeswax is nothing short of a triumph of engineering. It consists of hexagon shaped cylinders (six-sided) that fit naturally side-by-side. It has been proven by mathematicians that making the cells into hexagons is the most efficient shape. The smallest possible amount of wax is used to contain the highest volume of honey. It has also been shown to be one of the strongest possible shapes while using the least amount of material. "
How Bees Make Wax
Beeswax Company, LLC
"The glandular secretions of honeybees can do more than divide the cells of a hive; beeswax-based paint-coated walls in Ancient Greece and copies of the Magna Carta were delivered in 1215 bearing a beeswax seal. These days, it's mostly an ingredient in candles and cosmetics, but you can visit a craft store or a farmers' market, pick up a cake of it, and put it to work around the house as well."
10 Uses for Beeswax
By: Harry Sawyers, This Old House magazine
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