Giving wax back to bees

[Zante]

Stemming from jenkinsbrynmair's response here in another thread
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=542414&postcount=29

I started thinking: if beeswax is so expensive for bees to make, would it be worth returning it to the bees for re-use? Would they even re-use it?

As stated in my question (in the link) one assumes that the wax is coming from the same apiary it was taken from and you're not potentially spreading diseases.

 

[Finman]

Stemming from jenkinsbrynmair's response here in another thread
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=542414&postcount=29

I started thinking: if beeswax is so expensive for bees to make, would it be worth returning it to the bees for re-use? Would they even re-use it?

As stated in my question (in the link) one assumes that the wax is coming from the same apiary it was taken from and you're not potentially spreading diseases.

Give your wax to foundation maker. That is the way how bees recycle wax.
Foundation cost is them to me £2.5/kg

They will not reuse it if you give pieces of wax. Bees carry the wax out as carbage.

.

 

[wessexmario]

Here's how to recycle your wax...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7VxZVSLm4E

 

[BeeJayBee]

I started thinking: if beeswax is so expensive for bees to make, would it be worth returning it to the bees for re-use? Would they even re-use it?

They tend not to re-use in the way you (we) think they might.

If you put cappings in a feeder above the hive and leave it there for more than a couple of day they're likely to fill the container with wild comb rather than chew at the bits of wax and resuse it in the hive. It's probably because at this time of year there is always a good population of wax makers (young bees).

If you give a winter colony cappings to clean they'll probably completely ignore it once they've cleaned it up, because they don't need any additional space on the comb with the colony reducing in numbers and there are fewer wax makers. Can't say I've tried it though.

 

[Zante]

Yeah, I didn't think the bees would reuse it, or it would already be done by beekeepers. Still, worth asking.

Once I do start getting wax from my hives I will probably start making stuff out of it such as candles, salves and stuff like that to give as presents. That'll be be me sorted for Christmas, birthdays and the like for quite a while.

 

[Finman]

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To give wax via feeder is first time that I even heard about it. I have kept bees 54 years.
When I give in these days extracted combs to bees, they carry wax pieces out, but not in.

The heat of brood only escapes via feeder when you keep the feeder for vain.

Bees do all kind of things. If the hive has blue polystyrene boards, the color is soon in combs.


Quite fairytale that bees recycle bottom rubbish after winter.

Good heavens....

And do not spoil the combs with self made foundations...

..

 

[Finman]

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I have given pieces of foundations inside the hive. Bees do not reuse it so, that it is worth to do.

You destroy your hives, if you try all, what guys tell in youtubes or in forums.

 

[Finman]

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Tupla

 

[Finman]

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Bees need 1 kg wax when they draw foundations ready in one langstroth box.
To do that they use 6-8 kg honey.

That is enough to me when I make to each hive 2-3 boxes foundation frames every summer. Small crumb of wax does not help even if it works. It is swarming time and I need much foundation frames for AS.

But I have never seen, that bees collect wax outside, like Palmer and Hivemaker say.

 

[Motobiman]

I had a small swarm that had built two small pieces of comb in the collectiong box.

Dropped into the hive they were housed in, they ignored it.

 

[bontbee]

A few years back I watched bees robbing small crumbs of wax from a nuc box (that I had left open )
I've also seen them taking pieces from a block of wax left sitting in the sun

 

[Motobiman]

A few years back I watched bees robbing small crumbs of wax from a nuc box (that I had left open )
I've also seen them taking pieces from a block of wax left sitting in the sun

Odd innit.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A few years back I watched bees robbing small crumbs of wax from a nuc box (that I had left open )
I've also seen them taking pieces from a block of wax left sitting in the sun

Once saw them clearing a great big chunk of propolis that the bees had used to reduce a full length entrance to single beespace on a newly vacated nuc which I'd put to one side with the intention of removing and keeping the propolis!!

 

[Finman]

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Half of propolis is wax. Do they use it as a part if propolis.

.

 

[Finman]

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If you want to renew your combs, do you really put small crumps of wax here and there. And how many bees you have seen there collecting wax, two or two thousands?

Come on!!! What are you teaching now!!!!! Miraclelogy or beekeeping?

If I want to help them in comb buiding, I feed them with syrup...
I have never heard that somebody feed to them old wax.... My learning curve, where are you?

 

[Motobiman]

.

If you want to renew your combs, do you really put small crumps of wax here and there. And how many bees you have seen there collecting wax, two or two thousands?

Come on!!! What are you teaching now!!!!! Miraclelogy or beekeeping?

If I want to help them in comb buiding, I feed them with syrup...
I have never heard that somebody feed to them old wax.... My learning curve, where are you?

The man asked a question, that's all.