Sorry guys, but I am still not convinced by your anecdotal evidence that bees can recycle wax.
Unfortunately, I too am only running on anecdotal evidence.
I do not now for certain either way. But think it unlikely they can recycle.
Observing nibbled frames of wax in the hive only indicates they have nibbled away some wax.
If bees could recycle wax, then surely someone would have devised a way to get bees to draw out comb faster by giving them wax, maybe powder.
Surely you would see them collecting wax from the derbies beneath the hive.
Even natural bee hives drop wax, why would bees have evolved to be so wast full with something they could recycle. I do not see propolis derbies btw.
Another oddity - I have always observed large amounts of wax derbies when I house a new swarm on fresh foundation. My bees seem to drop the most wax when drawing comb. I keep them on solid floors to begin with. Why so much wax is drooped is a mystery to me, but if they could be recycling it at less effort, then its even more perplexing.
If bees can recycle wax, I do not think it is as simple as "its less effort than making new". As Little_bees has pointed too, maybe in cold weather recycling becomes preferential. Or working in cooler parts of the hive away from the brood cluster, perhaps where you sometimes find QC.....
I am open to the possibility they can recycle, but not convinced for now.
If anyone could point be to some rock solid proof either way I would be most interested.
And sorry tacking your thread off topic Cobbydaler, its something I have become unintentionally good at recently.