Apiculture

How to Choose Wax Properly

Currently, for many beekeepers, regardless of their experience and knowledge, the quality of the wax they use is a serious problem. It determines how well and quickly the combs will be built. And from them, a lot depends on the…

Editorial team agronom.info 5 марта 2021 2 min reading
How to Choose Wax Properly

Currently, for many beekeepers, regardless of their experience and knowledge, the quality of the wax they use is a serious problem. It determines how well and quickly the combs will be built. And from them, a lot depends on the productivity and efficiency of the apiary. Even small patches filled with drones lead to excessive swarming, because it is impossible to remove the drone brood in time. Moreover, wax can be a potential source of diseases, including very dangerous ones for bees.

The quality of the wax material depends on this product, so its selection and purchase deserve maximum attention. Wax should be purchased only from reputable manufacturers who have proven themselves specifically on the beekeeping goods market. Also, it is important to remember that wax of low quality cannot produce truly good wax.

Important characteristics of quality wax

Currently, on the market, you can find products offered by specialized enterprises or handmade (i.e., private) production. Sometimes, dishonest manufacturers offer counterfeits under well-known brands, which, if not known, can be mistaken for genuine products. External signs of wax quality include:

  • The thickness and weight of the artificial sheet.
  • Color, smell, and appearance. By these signs, you can immediately roughly assess the quality of the finished product. Good wax is necessarily shiny and transparent when held up to light.
  • The quality of the engraving on the sheet. All three sides should be equally translucent, and at the base, it should transform into a regular hexagon.
  • The number of cells. There should be at least 10 per 5.5 cm.
  • The stiffness of the sheet. It is easy to determine by bending. The center of the sheet is placed on the palm, and its edges should drop approximately 30 mm at room temperature.

By checking these indicators when purchasing, it is easy to determine how quality the wax is.

Purchasing specifics

A small gray deposit on the surface is allowed – it is not a sign of low quality. It almost always appears on good products after winter. To remove the deposit, simply spread the sheets in the sun and leave them there until they become transparent. Of course, wax should be purchased only from known manufacturers and sellers, only then can you be sure of its quality. You can view options on the website vashapasika.com.ua.

Editorial team agronom.info

Materials are prepared by the portal's agronomists and editors. We use only trusted sources: Ukrainian agricultural universities, variety registries, open scientific publications.

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