Beeswax was found in the ancient tombs of Egyptian kings where, remarkably, it still retained its pliability even after thousands of years

The ancients thought the bees gathered beeswax from plants, and Aristotle recorded this as fact. He doubtless mistook pollen for beeswax, or perhaps he confused it with propolis, a resinous pitch that the bees do in fact gather from plants.Beeswax uses have been recorded in all of mans past history. The Bible refers to it frequently.Beeswax was compressed into molds and actually used in place of money for purchasing items.

Beeswax was used in the casting of metal statues and figures and is still used this way in some parts of the world. First, the object to be cast in metal is carved and sculpted in beeswax. Next, the wax is covered with wet clay that is baked and hardened, then the wax is melted away and the day serves as a metal mold.

The ancient Greek legend of the Athenian,the architect Daedalus(Dedalos),is remembered because him and his son Icarus(Ikaros), tried to escape from the island Crete, made themselves wings of bird feathers, which they fastened to their bodies with beeswax. Flying too high, Ikaros had the wax witch held it's wings to his body, melt, and he plunged into the Aegean Sea, drowning. His father flew at a lower height and made it safely to Athens, where he built a temple to honor Apollo.Daedalus helps his son Icarus to fly..

The ancient god, Pan, guardian of bees, invented a musical instrument, Pan's Pipes, by joining reeds together with beeswax, and blowing through them to make music.The great Greek physician, Discorides, wrote of rolling beeswax into sheets which was then used to make artificial flowers.

The ancient Greeks and Romans made toy dolls of wax for children and used tablets of wax for writing.In the fourth century, during Easter observances, a large column of wax resembling a candle, but lacking a wick, (phallus) was set up on the altar, and on it was inscribed the religious observances to come.

The ancient Greeks knew of the solubility of wax in fats and oils, and used this technique for painting on wax.As far back as Roman times, beeswax was a major product in Europe, and taxes or tribute were commonly extracted in the form of beeswax. The records of huge quantities of wax indicate a higher level of beekeeping than is even present in modern times.Some of the most lifelike paintings are the encaustic paintings, using hot beeswax, made by artists in Egypt about 1,600 to 2,000 years ago. The painters used an iron plate, heated from underneath with charcoal, which melted the beeswax and kept it liquid. Powdered pigments were mixed with the liquid wax, then applied to a canvas. The finished painting was subjected to the sun's heat and the whole painting was "burned in" or blended, thus the word encaustic.

We usually think of honey as the most important product from the bee hive, but historically beeswax has played an equally important role.In some parts of the world it is still the only easily obtainable wax.  From the very earliest of times it has been used to make candles, but that is just one of its many uses.Female worker honey bees secrete wax from four pairs of special glands, called wax glands, on the underside of their abdomens.  The wax is secreted as a clear liquid onto wax mirrors or plates that lie under the glands.As the wax comes in contact with air, it hardens and becomes a bright white. Most beeswax is yellow because it is contaminated with pollen and the gums and resins that bees collect.  Pollen is the adult honey bee's source of protein and they collect it in great quantity. The gums and resins, which beekeepers call "propolis," are used to varnish the inside of the bee's nest. Both pollen and propolis are generally yellow or red though either may be many colors. The fragrant odor of beeswax and the pleasant odor produced by burning candles is also largely due to these contaminants, especially propolis.

Only honey bees make beeswax.  They use it to build their honeycombs. The six-sided comb cells are used for food storage and as chambers in which the young are reared. Beeswax melted from combs has long been a widely traded product. Once molded into cakes, beeswax is practically indestructible.No insects or animals will feed on blocks of beeswax, thus it may be stored for long periods of time. Beeswax is, and has been, used in a variety of ways.

It is a major commodity for beekeepers and makes up about five percent of their incomes.

How Honey Comb Is Made

Honey bees make six-sided cells that are space-efficient and the best shape to accommodate a round, growing honey bee larva.A six-sided cell is also stronger than a square or round shape. To make comb, the bees remove the bits of wax called wax scales from the undersides of their abdomen and chew and mold them into place. The production of beeswax is stimulated when there is a great supply of flower nectar such as when clover and alfalfa bloom. Bees do not build comb before it is needed.

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