Here’s how bees produce wax within their bodies to build honeycomb
Bees produce wax within their bodies using specialized wax glands located on the underside of the abdomens of young worker bees, typically between 12 and 20 days old[1][2][3].
These glands convert sugars from honey or nectar that the bees consume into wax, which is secreted as tiny, clear scales through small pores[4][2][5][6].
Key steps in wax production within the bee’s body:
• Wax Glands:
Female worker bees have eight wax-secreting glands on the ventral side of their abdomens. These glands are most active in young workers (12–20 days old)[1][2][3].
• Sugar Metabolism:
The bees consume large amounts of honey, and the sugars are metabolized within their bodies. The glands then synthesize and excrete wax in the form of small flat scales[4][6][5].
• Wax Scale Formation:
The liquid wax hardens into scales upon contact with air. Each wax scale is about 3 mm across and 0.1 mm thick, and it takes around 1,100 scales to produce one gram of wax[4][2][3].
• Removal and Use:
Bees use their hind legs to remove the wax scales from their abdomens, passing them to the mandibles (mouthparts), where the scales are chewed, softened, and then used to build honeycomb[2][3][5].
• Physiological Details:
The process is coordinated by several tissues in the bee’s body, including the epidermis, oenocytes, and fat body cells, which work together to synthesize and transport wax precursors to the surface, where they crystallize[1].
Producing wax is energetically costly—to make one ounce of wax, bees must consume up to eight ounces of honey[4][2][3].
This efficient biological mechanism allows bees to create the strong and economical hexagonal honeycomb structure needed for their colony’s survival.
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1. https://consensus.app/questions/bees-make-hives/
2. https://www.buddhabeeapiary.com/blog/honey-bee-wax-comb
3. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e5e9fc840e7c41aa1be7f26/t/65650f59cd64f724ceb79c8e/1701121885940/HBDC+How+Bees+Make+Beeswax+Presentation.pdf
4. https://beebeewraps.com/blogs/news/how-do-bees-make-beeswax
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xNOKBzNeds
6. https://beeinspiredgoods.com/blogs/beekeeping/where-does-beeswax-come-from
