Beeswax | Beespoke Info

Sycamore Pollen

Gimlet — Mon, 12 May 2014 14:02:01 +0000

Between the showers, the sun is very strong and the the sycamores are alive with bees. One of the good things about sycamore flowers is that they hang down beneath the leaves in the shelter of the canopy so showers don’t really harm them. However, gusty squalls will tear off the flowering panicles – lovely.

The forecast for the next few days is good, so with the trees in full bloom there is a good chance of a few pounds of honey.

For more sycamore information click here

Sycamore (Acer pseodoplatanus)

If you click on this picture you should be able to see a close up of the snot green pollen loads.

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Acetic Acid Fumigation

Gimlet — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 18:43:46 +0000

If you have old brood frames it is always a good idea to fumigate them before using them again to kill Nosema spores and wax moth. However, be sure they don’t come from a hive where the bees died of AFB. If you aren’t sure, or if frames contain patches of old sealed brood it’s probably best to burn them.

If the wax is old and very black it is best to strip these frames down and add fresh foundation in the spring – you’ll seldom find AFB in nice clean frames.

Here’s what to do:

First of all, be aware that acetic acid is not a nice chemical and the sort you need is 80%, which is much, much stronger than vinegar. It will burn you if you get it on your hands and have similar effect on your eyes so wear gloves and goggles. If you inhale it, it could strip your lungs as well so don’t inhale.

Also, it will rot concrete or metal if you spill it so don’t.

Set the brood box filled with the frames you want to fumigate on a solid timber floor with the entrance blocked off with foam.
Disposable nappies make great fume pads. Take a disposable nappy/fume pad and spread, it absorbent side up, across the top bars. Pour 120ml acetic acid onto the nappy.
If you have more than one box, just stack them up on top of each other. A nappy and 120ml of acetic acid on top should be enough for a 3-4 box stack.
Add a shallow eke, upside down, empty section-crate or an empty super then cover with a solid roof or crownboard and make sure there are no leaks for the fumes to escape.
Leave for one week. Don’t leave for much longer or the acid will get to work on your frame nails.
Remove the fume pads and allow the boxes to air for a few days before using. If you’re not going to use them for a while just stack them away and they’ll be grand.

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Beeswax Soap Recipe

Gimlet — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 17:15:54 +0000

I used to think that homemade soap would be a great way to use up some of that beeswax mountain. That is until I started to look into the subject and it turns out to be a bit more complicated than I thought.

For a start there’s the matter of CAUSTIC SODA. Note the capital letters there; those are there as a mark of Respect. When using Caustic Soda, be on your Toes because it is a VERY NASTY chemical indeed. Wear gloves, don’t spill it and don’t blame me if you do.

When mixed with water it gets hot and when you then mix that solution with a mixture of fats and oils you get a very strong chemical reaction during which more heat is produced and the end result is soap.

Then there’s the beeswax. Beeswax, as we know, is about the most recalcitrant substance known to man so don’t spill that either. It is also flammable – click here for more beeswax facts. Its effects on soap and the making of it, even in tiny quantities are profound.

For a start, in order to melt the beeswax you have to heat the oils much hotter than you normally would. Then, even a 1% addition of beeswax will cause the soap to thicken very quickly. If you are an experienced soap maker you will have gathered I am not! Nevertheless, here is a recipe for beeswax soap I’ve concocted – it works, it makes a lovely sudsy soap and I’m still here to tell the tale.

Ingredients

65g NaOH (Caustic Soda),
116g Water;
70g Olive oil;
263g Coconut oil;
112g Sunflower oil;
10g clean, grated Beeswax;
2 tsp Lavender oil.

Method

Put beeswax, sunflower, olive and coconut oils in a pan and heat very gently till the beeswax has melted;
Weigh the water and put it in a pyrex jug or similar;
Get your rubber gloves on;
Carefully weigh caustic soda;
Carefully pour the caustic soda into the jug with the water and stir with the butt end of a wooden spoon – get all the grains aloft and swirling then put the jug somewhere safe and leave it alone;
Grease your soap mould – such as an old loaf tin – with a lump of coconut oil;
Get your hand blender ready;
When the beeswax has melted, stir the oils with a spatula just to get them well mixed;
Allow the mixture to cool a little, you can stand it in water bath or just let it cool naturally, till you see it beginning to congeal on the base of the pan;
Pour in the caustic soda/water mixture and stir gently (with the mixer turned off) then add your lavender;
Now turn the mixer on and give it what-for. It should turn a nice golden colour and start to thicken;
When it looks like a cake batter, pour it into your soap mould;
Wrap the whole thing in clingfilm and old towels to keep the heat in and leave it till it’s set;

Once set and still a bit warm turn it out of the mould and cut it up into bars. If yours is like mine you will notice that the lovely golden colour has gone away and the soap is now a warm ivory.

If you are unsure of what quantities of ingredients to use, there are several online resources for soapmakers. soapcalc.net has an online soap calculator which allows you to add in your oil ingredients and water as percentages of the total oils and it will give you the correct amount of caustic soda to use.

The table below shows the output when I input the oils and beeswax in my recipe above. The pink row (Lye – NaOH) shows the amount of Caustic Soda to use.

Soap calculator output for the recipe above

Click here to go to the soapcalc soap calculator

Click here for simple beeswax wraps

Click here for how to render beeswax

Click here for beeswax facts

Click here for beeswax lipbalm recipe

Click here for beeswax handcream recipe

Click here for beeswax furniture polish recipe

Click here for beeswax soap recipe

Click here for beeswax candlemaking

Click here for emergency home dental repairs with beeswax

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Lip Balm Recipe

Gimlet — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 17:28:05 +0000

Here is a recipe for lip balm – it won’t help much with the beeswax mountain but if your lips are in tatters this is the stuff for you. If not, well it does have tatter-prevention properties if you smear some on before you go out in the elements. At the very least it will give you a nice glossy pout.

It’ll calm your hair down in an emergency as well.

You can add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice – lavender is good, it has healing properties. Some people prefer peppermint. Or there’s always orange. Put essential oils in last of all and don’t get your mixture any hotter than it needs to be or all those special properties will vaporise.

Ingredients

65g sunflower oil;
25g clean beeswax – grated;
vitamin E oil as preservative – about 10 drops;
essential oil of your choice – about 12 drops. Lavender is very healing – I recommend it.

Method

Put oil and beeswax in double saucepan or water bath;
Heat gently until wax is just melted;
Add vitamin E and optional essential oils and stir;
Pour into pots – this will make enough for about 15 x 10ml pots.

As always be careful with beeswax and heat.

Click here for beeswax facts

Click here for rendering beeswax

Click here for a simple way to make beeswax wraps

Click here for beeswax handcream recipe

Click here for beeswax furniture polish recipe

Click here for beeswax soap recipe

Click here for beeswax candlemaking

Click here for home dentistry with beeswax

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Beeswax Furniture Polish Recipe

Gimlet — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:48:20 +0000

Polish up yer wooden stuff with this stuff – it’s something to do with your beeswax mountain and it makes a great present for the mid-winter too.

Only use genuine turpentine – it’s expensive but it smells lovely. Don’t be tempted to use white spirit in place of turpentine or it will smell horrible. Do remember turpentine is an extremely volatile substance – keep well away from naked flames and work in a well ventilated room.

Beeswax is also very flammable so don’t get that near naked flames either.

Just be careful and don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Carnauba wax is a hard wax of plant origin which will help make the shine last longer. It is available from beekeeping suppliers such as Thornes.

Ingredients:

8oz clean beeswax
1oz carnauba wax
1pt pure turpentine

Method:

Melt the waxes together in double saucepan/waterbath;
Warm the turpentine;
Pour the turpentine into the melted wax;
Stir and pour into pots or tins.

Click here for beeswax facts

Click here for a simple way to make beeswax wraps

Click here for beeswax lipbalm recipe

Click here for beeswax handcream recipe

Click here for beeswax soap recipe

Click here for beeswax candlemaking

Click here for home dentistry with beeswax

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Hair today…

Gimlet — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 11:41:12 +0000

… gone tomorrow.

Flyaway hair? Try this recipe I found this morning. It takes minutes to prepare and will hold the most stubborn hair in place.

Ingredients

15 grams grated beeswax
4 teaspoons coconut oil

Method

melt the beeswax in a glass jar or bowl over a pan of hot water;
when melted – add the coconut oil;
when that too has melted – stir well and pour into a shallow jar;
If you want to add fragrance – cool slightly and stir it in just before bottling.

To use, scrape a little out with a teaspoon – or a fingernail if you’ve got one of those long curved ones. Spread it out over your fingertips then rub it through your mad hair.

PS If you don’t like the consistency you can always melt it down and add more beeswax or coconut or fry an egg in it.

Get it down you – it’ll put hairs on yer chest.

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