Are you raising bees and find yourself wondering what you can do with the wax honeycombs once the honey is extracted? You’ve come to the right place. My wife and I have raised bees for almost six years, and we’ve found multiple ways to utilize their honeycomb wax.
What should you do with honeycomb wax once it has been removed from the hive? You can melt the honeycomb, clean it, and turn it into beeswax. Beeswax is edible, has a variety of health benefits, and can be used to make every-day items around your home. It can also be reused to make a foundation for beehive frames for future use.
The idea of using your own honeycomb wax to create items for personal care or as a cooking-staple is exciting. However, the honeycomb wax must be transformed before it can be used. Even if using the wax in its raw form, you should be informed of what you’re consuming to make sure it’s right for you.
What to Do With Honeycomb Wax
There are a variety of ways you can use honeycomb wax after the honey extraction process has been completed. Try these exciting ideas to see which method is your preference:
1. Natural Bubblegum
I first realized honeycomb made a natural bubblegum substitute after our first honey extraction. I had never eaten honey straight from the comb. I was amazed after I tasted the honey and began chewing the comb. It has a durable texture, sweet flavor, and cost nothing.
2. Salad Topping
We all know we should eat more salads but tend to get restless when eating the same things day after day. Mix up your salads with honeycomb wax. Chop the wax into bite-sized pieces, place them on top of the salad, and enjoy the healthy crunch.
3. Finishing Touch
When preparing meat for your last meal of the day, honeycomb wax is the secret ingredient. It can turn any basic meal into a homerun. The best part is it doesn’t require extra effort on your part.
After you’ve prepared the meat, chop the honeycomb into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle it over the meat, and enjoy the added texture with a hint of sweetness.
4. Sundae Toppings
Ice cream sundaes are a wonderful treat but can be dangerous for nut-allergy-sufferers. If you love crunchy textures on your sundae but must be careful about what you consume, turn to honeycomb wax.
Crush the wax and sprinkle it over your sundae for the perfect crunch without the worries.
5. Candles
Candles are great for keeping on hand in case of a power outage or for adding a welcoming tone to the home. If you love candles, you can easily make them from beeswax.
It will require the honeycomb wax to be purified, but it will make desirable and frugal candles. Beeswax candles are better than other types of candles because they burn slower.
6. Lip Balm
Lip care is important, especially in windy or cold conditions. If you’re seeking a natural option for soothing your chapped lips, reach for your honeycomb wax.
Be sure to turn the honeycomb wax into beeswax before using it on your mouth. However, once it has been transformed, it can be used to make natural lip balm.
7. DIY Lotion
Many consumers worry about what they’re applying to their largest organ. You can now make your own natural and frugal lotion using honeycomb wax. The wax will need to be rendered to make beeswax prior to making
8. Hive Foundation
As I stated earlier, my wife and I are avid beekeepers. One of the most common ways we use our honeycomb wax is for a hive foundation.
When we split a large hive to create a smaller nuc, we don’t want the small hive to focus on building. Instead, we want them to focus their efforts on reproducing and making honey for survival.
To make this a reality, we’ll cut different portions of honeycomb to create a puzzle-like creation. The honeycomb is pieced together and placed inside a frame. The comb is held in place on the frame with rubber bands.
9. Leave It for the Bees
After keeping bees for one season, you’ll have
Stop guilt-tripping yourself and embrace the good news: you don’t have to do anything with honeycomb wax. Instead, you can leave it for the bees. Put the frames with the honeycomb intact back in the hives. The bees will repair any damaged areas, clean the honeycomb, and reuse it.
10. Breakfast Topping
Breakfast was once said to be the most important meal of the day. If you still feel this way and enjoy a hearty breakfast each morning, you’ll be interested to know honeycomb can be used during this meal too.
Whether you enjoy homemade pancakes, a parfait, or a warm bowl of oatmeal, they can all be topped with honeycomb. Chop the honeycomb into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle on top for a crunchy finish.
11. Sugar Alternative
Many people suffer from diabetes. They have a hard time regulating their sugar and must be careful how much sugar they consume.
Honeycomb is a natural sugar alternative for some people. Obviously, not everyone’s body will respond the same. If you’re a diabetic and interested in trying out this method for using honeycomb, be sure to speak with your doctor and keep an eye on your blood sugar while testing it out.
Benefits of Eating Honeycomb Wax
It’s clear by now; you can safely consume honeycomb wax. These are the benefits
- It’s an antioxidant
- Reduces overall cholesterol by raising the good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL)
- Increases blood flow to your heart
- Like honey, honeycomb is a natural bacteria-fighting agent
- Also, like honey, honeycomb can be used as a natural cough suppressant
- Safe sugar alternative for some diabetics
- Increases liver function
How to Make Beeswax
Making beeswax requires only a basic rendering method. You will need:
- Honeycomb wax
- Pot or solar wax melter
- Straining material
- Double boiler
- Dish for storing beeswax
You begin by melting the wax. This can be accomplished by placing the wax in a pot on your stove or using a solar wax melter.
Once the wax has melted, strain it through a clean material such as a pillowcase, pair of pantyhose, or cheesecloth to remove all impurities. You may need to repeat this step multiple times.
When finished, reheat the wax using a double boiler.
To complete the process, pour the purified beeswax into a dish, mold, or ice cube tray for storage until you’re ready to use it.
Benefits of Beeswax
Beeswax is the rendered and purified version of honeycomb wax. Before spreading this all over your body, you should know the benefits of using this product:
- Good for helping with skin conditions such as eczema and diaper rash
- Natural pain reliever
- Can reduce inflammation all over your body
- Helps with pimples and blemishes
- Reduces the signs of stretch marks
- Natural treatment for fungal infections
- Stress reliever
- Naturally levels your blood pressure
- Moisturizes your skin without clogging your pores or suffocating the skin
Making the Decision
Now that you understand how you can use honeycomb wax and the benefits of using it, you may be wondering if you should. Is this really what’s best for your bees, and is this what’s best for you?
This is a personal decision when it comes to your health that should be made between you and your doctor. However, choosing whether to utilize the honeycomb wax because of your bees can be answered by asking yourself a few questions:
- What is my goal?
- Am I keeping bees for a hobby or to make money?
- Am I trying to save money?
- Can I use the honeycomb wax as a money-maker?
If your goal is to keep bees as a hobby, go ahead and experiment with different ways to use honeycomb wax. You may find your hobby has more benefits than you originally thought.
If you’re raising bees to make a profit either from selling bees or their honey, you’ll want to weigh your options. By giving the honeycomb back to the bees, you’re greatly reducing their work and giving them a jumpstart on making honey and strengthening their hives. This could equate to greater honey or bee production.
However, if you’re able to turn some of the honeycomb wax items into a means to produce a profit, you may find it beneficial to take the honeycomb wax from the hive. If you can’t do this, you should return the wax to the hive.
Lastly, if you’re trying to make items with the honeycomb wax to save money, you should remove the wax and give this money-saving opportunity a try.
Raising bees is a constant balancing act. Deciding if or how to use honeycomb wax is another weight on the scales.