Yellow beeswax.

[Finman]

.
Yellow wax comes from old brood combs. The color derives from feces of larva, which is released before the larva makes the pupa silk.

Strongest color comes from "black combs"


.Very seldom plants ' nectar or pollen give the color to the wax



http://www.honeybeesuite.com/fecal-retention-in-bee-larvae/
The larvae manage to retain their feces because the large midgut where the feces accumulates is not attached to the hindgut from where it will be expelled. In short, there is no place for the feces to go. Then, just after larval feeding is complete but before the cocoon is spun, the midgut and hindgut unite into one long, continuous tube. At that point, the larva defecates in the form of dry pellets.

The feces deposit is mostly removed from the cells after the adult bee has emerged. Nurse bees—usually newborns—clean and polish all the brood cells between uses, removing any loose debris. However, some feces may remain embedded within the sticky cocoon material that remains attached to the cell wall. Pressed into the fabric of the cocoon, this material becomes relatively inert and does not contaminate the next generation of honey bee larvae.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find the most intense yellow wax gets made when there's a lot of willo0w pollen around - two years ago I had two overwinered nucs with foundation to draw and the colour of the comb was amazing

 

[victor meldrew]

Often large areas of cappings are stained a deep buttercup yellow, also new comb can be constructed of wax of this colour .
I find old well used comb rarely produces wax of this colour no matter how good the filtration !
A couple of foundation suppliers in the last few years have had on sale some manky looking stuff!
VM


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find old well used comb rarely produces wax of this colour no matter how good the filtration !
A couple of foundation suppliers in the last few years have had on sale some manky looking stuff!
VM

 

[REDWOOD]

Who

 

[Finman]

.
Actually if you melt only uncapping wax, it is quite white.

. To get uncapping wax you need to get honey yield.....and not to use uncapping fork...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Who

Well not manky as such - just very dull brownish colour wax rather than yellow - from more than one supplier I found

 

[beeno]

Thanks all,
Food for thought itma! Also, VM and Ericha, never made a candle, but I assumed probably wrongly, that in pouring one colour wax on top of another in the form, it would either mix or separate into lumps only held together by the wick, if you left it to late?
Ignorance is not bliss!

 

[victor meldrew]

Won't separate as molten wax keeps it's heat for ages, hence it's usefulness in orthopaedics !
The poured wax will melt the surface of the solid wax and form a bond
VM


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[Erichalfbee]

The poured wax will melt the surface of the solid wax and form a bond
VM

Nevertheless it is good practice to make a few holes with a darning needle so that the poured wax fills them forming a better bond.

 

[Swarm]

I still have a disc of my first ever rendered cappings wax and it is bright yellow, I've never had wax as bright as that since.

 

[beeno]

I still have a disc of my first ever rendered cappings wax and it is bright yellow, I've never had wax as bright as that since.

Back to the drawing board on that one then!

 

[beeno]

Thanks again VM and Ericha. Might get to make some candles next year!

 

[masterBK]

I know you have to be brave to disagree with Finman but the yellow colour of wax comes from fat soluble pigments in the pollen. There are lots of different pigment chemicals used by plants in the exine (outercoat) of pollen but include flavonoids (eg 3-hydroxy-flavoe) and carotinoids. The pigments may have a role in shielding the genetic material of the pollen from the mutagenic effects of UV light

For those further interested in the chemical aspects of beeswax go to

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agns/pdf/jecfa/cta/65/beeswax.pdf

 

[itma]

Is the darker brown coloration only caused by overheating?

Can it be 'refined out"? (Without going in for Silicon-style zone refining... !)

 

[Finman]

I know you have to be brave to disagree with Finman but the yellow colour of wax comes from fat soluble pigments in the pollen. There are lots of different pigment chemicals used by plants but include flavonols (eg 3-hydroxy-flavoe) and carotinoids.

I do not disagree that. Feces means mostly the cells of empty pollen.
Yes, the pollen shells in larva feces. Most of the colour. That gives the color to the old comb.

It is very well know that you get strongest coloration from old combs.

It does not come from nectar.

When you melt combs, there are much pollen tubes in cells too.

If the wax has contact with iron, residue honey react with iron and it adds black color, plus unwanted residuals.

From this you get yellow color to the wax.

 

[Finman]

Is the darker brown coloration only caused by overheating?

!)

Perhaps, but from sunmelter you get same color wax and sun melter is not over heated.
The honey from sunmelter has verey dark color too. And not to mention the taste.

 

[victor meldrew]

A good few years ago a "shop steward" had samples of yellow blobs removed from cars parked near the paint shop !
He was convinced the new extractors had inefficient filtering !
When the results came in , I had to smile as there was a bee keeper within a couple of hundred feet of the car park.
Results read!
Samples supplied proved to contain wax, small immeasurable components plus oily pollen skins ,
In other words " Bee ****" .
VM


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[Karol]

Sorry I've not been around but I've been ensconced in a medicines inspection.

GMP II doesn't require control over the natural elements of comb production (I.e. the bees) but it does require control over the collection and processing so as to limit contamination with potentially hazardous materials such certain pathogens and environmental toxins that might be present. TSE compliance is about ensuring there's been no contamination with prions and the most likely source would be the use of any equipment that may have come into contact with animal material, even something as simple as a stewing pot!

Self-certification that it has no BSE (or TSE) materials in its manufacture. Easy, surely? (No bits of cows or sheep anywhere near it.)
Complies with GMPII? Wassat? Google doesn't know of GMPII.
ADDED - Got it! Its actually GMP II "GMP II: Good Manufacturing Practice for Orthodox and Complementary Medicines" Not really sure of its relevance if the (natural) product meets the specifications. I'm pretty damn sure that no pharmaceutical company is going to be keeping its own bees in quality-standard approved hives, etc.
This stage is going to apply only to the packaging (and just possibly refining) of the product for this market.

Analysis certificate confirming BS specification? That looks like the expense and the distinguishing characteristic. But actually the BS specs that I can find online seem pretty loose. I daresay that most clean cappings wax would meet the specification, if it was tested.
Analysis cost is likely to outweigh the actual wax cost unless a large 'batch' were to be made and analysed.

So, for anyone producing cappings (doubt bright yellow beeswax really comes from melted comb walls!) in 25kg+ batches, it might be well worth keeping it away from other wax and sending some off for analysis.

 

[Tom Bick]

Sorry I've not been around but I've been ensconced in a medicines inspection.

GMP II doesn't require control over the natural elements of comb production (I.e. the bees) but it does require control over the collection and processing so as to limit contamination with potentially hazardous materials such certain pathogens and environmental toxins that might be present. TSE compliance is about ensuring there's been no contamination with prions and the most likely source would be the use of any equipment that may have come into contact with animal material, even something as simple as a stewing pot!

I suppose its the level of contamination and how pure the wax has to be but may just rule out any wax containing foundation.