Organic Beeswax

[Mosquito]

I see thorne is now selling Sheets BS Deep Organic Beeswax.

https://secure.thorne.co.uk/cgi-bin...HOP&THISPAGE=page20023.html&ORDER_ID=!ORDERID!

I thought all Beeswax was Organic?

 

[aberreef]

Perhaps it's collected from the hives of dead bees that recieved no treatments

 

[drstitson]

"I thought all Beeswax was Organic?"

no - have you seen the wax exchange at stoneleigh?

most foundation is full of nasty chemicals and is recycled worsening the problem.

presumably the organic wax is virgin wax from africa or similar.

alternative solutions are to just use starter strips and/or keep a TBH as "clean" wax source (such as ron hoskins does).

 

[viridens]

Organic beeswax - is there any such thing anymore? Maybe just a good excuse for charging a premium price?

I suppose it depends on which definition of organic is used, and how strictly it is applied. Most organic certification depends on the correct paper trail and not on proper spectrographic or chromatographic analysis to rule out pollution in the final product.

There are very few places left where pure organic wax could be guaranteed, and DDT and Dieldrin (real nasties) are still used in African and other 'developing' countries.
Unfortunately, if man is there to 'manage' and harvest it, it has probably already been polluted.

I aim to keep my bees without using chemicals. If I need to treat for varroa, (which I haven't in recent years) I would use Formic or Oxalic acid which are at least synthetic versions of natural organic substances. But unfortunately I have no control over what Mr Farmer and Mrs Neighbour choose to spray on their flowers.

 

[nosmoking]

Mmmm. So, the bees are only told to go to organic sources? But, what do I know?

 

[viridens]

Mmmm. So, the bees are only told to go to organic sources? But, what do I know?

That seems to be the case in Wales. See here: [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beeswax-30g-Organic-Natural-Welsh/dp/B001GZKPC6"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beeswax-30g-Organic-Natural-Welsh/dp/B001GZKPC6[/ame]

 

[madasafish]

My TBH beeswax is organic.. Only thymol and sugar and other natural substances involved.. Pity my neighbours spray their roses and the farmer the field and....

 

[Brosville]

It's one of those subjects that are to be frank somewhat of a grey area - as Madasafish says about the activities of those in his neighbourhood, I'd be very surprised if what I would deem truly organic beeswax could be found anywhere in the British Isles, it would have to come from hives used by bees that are way out of flying range of all "icides" and their "drift"....
Sadly, words are open to "redefinition", and for instance, some US "organic" standards are not what we'd recognise as such at all
In the same vein - under the definition of the act, the word "natural" as used in the animal feedstuffs business can be appended to ingredients synthesised in a lab (as long as they're copies of naturally occurring substances....)
There is a simple answer - let your bees build what they want in the way of foundation themselves.....

 

[Chris Luck]

My TBH beeswax is organic.. Only thymol and sugar and other natural substances involved..

You are of course avin a larf.

Chris

 

[Mosquito]

I would of thought Organic Beeswax would be White.
As new draw wax is white.

 

[Chris Luck]

I would of thought Organic Beeswax would be White

No, not necessarily.

I know a "bio" apiculteur not too far away from me and the wax colour, as always, depends on how old / used the comb is. Incidentally the bees are situated in the middle of a 100+ hectare bio farm so no problems guaranteeing being "organic".

Chris

 

[psafloyd]

I see thorne is now selling Sheets BS Deep Organic Beeswax.

https://secure.thorne.co.uk/cgi-bin...HOP&THISPAGE=page20023.html&ORDER_ID=!ORDERID!

I thought all Beeswax was Organic?

Not if made from recycled beeswax and they don't know the source.

One bloke said to me recently (warré) he was offered a large sum for a source of organic wax, which made him ask why he would bother selling honey. Which he doesn't, in an case. It was a mighty factor of the price of raw, 'organic' honey.