From: "Lucinda Sewell" <lucindajohn@sewellhome.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 21:54:43 -0000
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Clean wax for Organic Production?

Hiya all,

Don Hess wrote:

> 4) growing pesticide-free wax as a crop. Setting aside colonies to
> build combs on top-bars or starter strips with the goal of maximizing
> wax production. You could probably feed sugar-syrup to supplement
> energy sources when a nectar flow isn't on in order to keep the wax
> flowing, and always have space for the bees to be working on new comb

I understand the bees only produce wax for a certain period of their life
(the 2nd and third weeks seem to be the consensus) To do this they obviously require a flow, even if a sugar syrup one. What I wonder about is how draining it is on the bees? If we continually remove comb from a colony
will it become dispirited and 'worked out?' 7:1 nectar:wax ratio seems to
leap to mind, in other words a lb of wax costs 7lbs of nectar...if it costs
bees too it's pricey stuff. Unless you're running skeps of course...

Though any non-organically
> grown brood-wax would probably be rejected by foundation makers if
> the issue comes more into attention to where they start testing the
> wax they're given.

(Don Hess still)

Aren't they testing already? I sort of assume we're talking Dadant here, who
won't (correct me if I'm wrong America) buy my Mocambiquan, or Pav's still
pretty pure Kiwi wax. How much wax do they sell, and how bad are the residue levels? (What do they do to make it smell soooo good too?)

On a more general note what makes the waxes different? Chinese beeswax is frowned on here, does the nectar influence the wax? Or is it purely
temperature? It's not handling/processing.

I bet there's a molecular poolball train to be lined up here ;-)

John Sewell
SE England.