Hive Management - For Beeswax Production

For Beeswax Production

Beeswax may be a major product or a minor byproduct. The management technique that yields the highest amount of wax per hive is the top-bar hive. During the harvest of the honey from top-bar hives the whole honey comb is removed and crushed to extract the honey.

The commercial honey producers use Langstroth hive frames. The honey extraction process yields beeswax from the uncapping process. The highest quality beeswax is almost white. Lower quality beeswax from older cappings or comb is yellow or brown. Beeswax should be rendered and filtered before it is sold.

The least amount of beeswax that can be used as such, is produced in Ross rounds or cassette type comb honey production. Wax and honey are not separated and are consumed together.

Tha ability and tendency to build wax comb differs between the honeybee races. It also differs between colonies. A newly hived swarm produces wax and builds comb very quickly.