So, what do you do with your old wax? For some of us, as little as possible, but for others, there’s money to be made.

There are different kinds of wax based on a couple of factors, including how long it was in the hive and how it was used by the bees. Bees wax from the brood area tends to get dark fast, in a couple of years, it’s nearly black from old cocoons, pollen, uneaten honey and the like.

In fact, after a couple of years those old combs will have enough dirt, grime, propolis and especially ag pesticides soaked up that they should be removed from the hive. But then what? Solar wax melters work, a hot plate and a double-boiler work too. Melt it down, get rid of it.

Cappings wax, that beautiful wax removed from honey frames however, is usually beautiful, light, bright and glowing yellow. That should be saved. There’s high demand, high value and good money to be made from this wax.

What’s beeswax worth these days? You can check the journals, and other beekeepers. There is money in turning the wax into candles as well as selling it in bulk to other beekeepers, cosmetic manufactures and even beauticians.

In this episode, Kim and Jim talk about how you can mind your bees wax and maybe even make a good dollar or two at the same time!

Listen today!

If you like the episode, share it with a fellow beekeepers and/or let us know by leaving a comment in the show notes. We'd love to hear from you and how you deal with bees wax!

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Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

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Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast.

Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus, original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott

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