Bees are multifunctional insects because they can simultaneously provide pollination, honey production and wax making functions. You should know that bees produce honey and wax in a honeycomb (on a tree or in a beehive).
Bees making honey
The process of making honey starts with foraging for food. Then, each bee will suck nectar or honeydew. The first substance is produced by flowers, while the second substance is secreted by small insects when they extract sap from plants (especially fir trees). The soaked liquid will be stored in the crops when the bees reach the hive. After arriving there, she passed nectar mixed with saliva through the worker bee’s mouth. Repeat this operation several times to make the nectar or honeydew thicker. The purpose of mouth-to-mouth transfer is also to give the substance the texture of honey. In addition, through this process, honeydew or nectar is rich in substances found in each bee’s body. The last worker bee then deposits the enriched material (more precisely, honey) in the cells. Once the honey loses enough moisture, the latter will be sealed by wax. You should know that honey is a winter supplement for bees. To do this, the bee will open the wax covering the alveoli. However, since they don’t need all the honey, the beekeeper will harvest the remaining honey for us to eat.
How do bees produce wax?
To understand the process by which bees make natural wax, you should know that there are 4 pairs of glands in their abdomen. The function of these glands is to make a liquid that will be used to make wax. In fact, the fluid drains from the abdomen in the form of scales. But before that, the scale will chew with the saliva of the bees to form a waxy paste. The latter will be used by bees to make cells. When these are damaged, beekeepers use them to make regulations and candles. For this, the wax must be melted at a temperature of 60°C. Then, all you have to do is use a mold or cookie cutter to give it the desired shape. In order to harden the wax again, a temperature of about 37°C is required.
Bees have the advantage of being good insects. Indeed, they ensure the pollination of flowers, are useful for plant reproduction and fruit production. Bees can also make honey, which is especially popular among gourmets. Finally, they are the source of wax, which is used by the makers of candles and wax figures.
Recommended reading:
-Another article about how to make honey
-OPIE website