Beeswax is produced by bees in the form of tiny scales which are "sweated" from the segments on the underside of the abdomen. To stimulate production, the bees gorge themselves with honey or sugar syrup and huddle together to raise the temperature of the cluster. To produce one pound of wax, the bees need to consume about ten pounds of honey.

At the normal hive temperature of 37 °C (100 °F), wax can support a considerable weight and yet still be moulded by the bee's jaws. Beeswax melts at 64 °C (147 °F).

The uses for beeswax are many but these days the most common are for better quality candles, furniture polish and batik art to name but a few.

Beeswax makes an excellent barrier cream to protect skin against harsh conditions. Mix together a teaspoon of beeswax granules with a tablespoon of clear honey, half a teaspoon of olive oil and a few drops of essential oil of rose for a soothing, fragrant hand cream.

Beeswax has a high resistance to the passage of heat, but if cooled quickly will become pale in colour, more brittle and liable to develop cracks due to rapid contraction.

IMPORTANT: When melting beeswax, always use a water bath and never place a pan of wax directly on a hot plate or gas ring. Beeswax can easily become damaged by localised overheating and if it ignites, can burn more ferociously than any chip pan fire.

Wax should only be melted in stainless steel, plastic, or tin-plated containers. Iron rust and containers of galvanised iron, brass or copper all impart a colour to beeswax and aluminium is said to make the wax dull and mud coloured. The next time you see a very orange wax, it may have been melted in a copper pan.