CHAPTER V
THE INDUSTRIES OF THE HIVE
THE SECRETION OF WAX
Very little do we know of the mysterious process of wax-making. The interior of the bee is a chemical laboratory where no visitors are allowed; at best we have been obliged to stand outside and guess at the formulas used within. We know that honey enters largely into the composition of wax, and that the bees when secreting wax usually have pollen in their stomachs, although Huber and Cook have both demonstrated that bees make successful comb when deprived of pollen, and when fed on sugar syrup instead of honey. But to make this experiment of much value the bees must needs have been deprived of pollen all of their lives instead of a few days. It seems to be generally conceded that nitrogenous food is needed for the best product of wax-manufacture, though nitrogen does not enter into the composition of the wax itself.
It is variously estimated that it requires from ten to twenty pounds of honey to produce one of wax; so it is apparent to even the novice in bee-keeping that wax is a very expensive product. One of the
50
