Beeswax - So many uses!
Beeswax is a natural wax that the honey bees produce.
Beeswax is one of the most well-known and commonly used bee byproducts. Bees construct their honeycomb by producing this wax – a complex mix of over 250 compounds. Each worker bee has eight abdominal wax glands and creates the building material by mixing wax from her glands with her saliva. The resulting honeycomb keeps eggs and larvae safe and dry and protects stored honey from the cold and wet.
Beeswax has been used since prehistory as man's first plastic, as a lubricant and waterproofing agent, as a polish for wood and leather and for making candles, and as an ingredient in cosmetics. A coating of beeswax over cheese keeps it from going mouldy, and a fine, sprayed layer offers surface protection for fruit.
We have had great fun this summer making beeswax wraps for food.
