Beeswax is one of nature's useful and fragrant gifts. It takes about 160,000 bees to produce 60 pounds of honey that only yield about 1 pound of beeswax. The wax is cleaned* and, if desired, colored using nontoxic, odorless dyes. Then the wax is laid out into solid sheets before the hexagonal pattern is imprinted onto the beeswax. The natural-colored (undyed) sheets are returned to the beehives as foundation for more honeycomb.

*One way to clean beeswax is to filter it using charcoal, diatomaceous earth, and clay. Another way to clean (not quite as thorough) is to strain the melted wax with cheesecloth, hosiery, or better yet, an old sweatshirt, fleece side up. No bleach is used in Lumina's beeswax.

Naturally fragrant beeswax burns cleaner and longer than petroleum-based waxes. There's no smoking since there is no petroleum by-product burning in the candles. That's why burning beeswax candles is safe around (pet) birds and those sensitive to allergens.

Q. What is the melting point of beeswax?
A. 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Q. Does beeswax have a smell?
A. Yes and no. When beeswax is created by the honeybee, it is white and odorless. During storage in the honeycomb, the wax absorbs its fragrance and color from pollen, honey, and propolis (a brownish resinous material of waxy consistency collected by bees from the buds of trees and used as a cement). So each batch of wax collected will have a unique honey-like fragrance and color.

Q. Why do some honeycomb sheet colors smell differently?
A. The type of plant from which the honeybee harvests pollen determines the fragrance of the beeswax. A lighter beeswax indicates the bees are collecting materials from blossoms. A darker beeswax is produced when bees collect from plants such as eucalyptus and avocado. Logically, if a light colored wax sheet is desired (such as almond), one would start off dying a lighter base wax. Conversely, if a darker color is desired (such as deep blue), it does not matter so much what tone the base wax has and usually a darker beeswax will be used.

Q. What is bloom?
A. Bloom is the dull "finish" or sometimes frosty-like "film" that appears on the surface of beeswax, usually when the wax is cold and exposed to air. It is the softer oils in the wax coming to the surface. It is not harmful or anything and may be removed by blowing warm air from a hair dryer over the wax (not so close you melt the wax) or by buffing the candle with a nylon stocking (although this does not work well with the texture of the honeycomb).

Q. Where does the beeswax you sell come from?
A. From beekeepers mostly in the Midwest section of the United States; occasionally from Germany or Canada. MANY years ago, some of the beeswax was imported from China, but no more--their beeswax tended to be over 50% contaminated with pesticides.

Q. What kind of dyes are used in the honeycomb sheets?
A. Nontoxic and odorless non-aniline dyes that are rated safe for children.

Q. Do I burn these candles in the cardboard packaging?
A. Please don't. Although I appreciate it that folks enjoy the packaging almost as much as the candles, burning cardboard is a dangerous fire hazard. You are welcome to display the candle in its wrapping, but please remove all packaging before lighting up. And remember, all candles (including the candlesticks or tapers) should be burnt in a nonflammable container or dish and one that does not have any holes or leaks in the bottom, allowing the hot wax to escape. Some candlestick holders have wooden bases. If you choose to burn candles in these types of containers, please do not let the candle burn down to the wooden base. I would even beware of glass candle holders--I have had them crack and "explode" a couple of times when I allowed the taper to burn so far down that the flame was right up against the glass cup that held the taper. The glass could not handle being that close to the heat. The standard warnings also apply: never leave a burning candle unattended or alone with children.

Q. Do hand-rolled beeswax candles really burn longer?
A. Yes and no. Beeswax is a long-burning wax; however, a hand-rolled candle has less wax than a solid candle. Some burn times: a small votive hand-rolled beeswax candle will last approximately an hour and a half (4 hours in cold weather), an 8-inch taper will burn dripless in about 5 hours, a 4-inch pillar will burn for up to 26 hours, an 8-inch tall spiral (cone) will take about 10 hours to completely burn. I haven't finished timing an 8-inch pillar, but I am over 60 hours now and still have over half of it left. (I always forget to time them.)

Note that the metallic honeycomb sheets are not pure beeswax--there is some paraffin in each sheet. Therefore a candle made from a metallic sheet will burn faster than a comparable candle made from the pure beeswax sheet. To maximize the burn time for a metallic candle, use the metallic sheet only as the final wrap, while burning pure beeswax in the center of the candle.

Other factors that affect burn time are: the ambient temperature of the room the candle is burning in (colder air means longer burn time); how tightly the wax was rolled around the wick (it's important for the wick to have good contact with the wax; less air--tighter roll--the better); scents; and drafts.

Q. I have some questions about candle making using beeswax. Can you help?
A. I hope so. Please visit our candle-making tips page: www.luminacandles.com/tips.htm

Q. I really LOVE beeswax. Is there anything I can do to keep the prices low?
A. YES! Buy beeswax. And buy honey. Many beekeepers I talk to tell me that Americans don't eat as much honey as we used to and that makes it hard for beekeepers to make a living. Beeswax is a byproduct of honey-producing, but in some areas the demand for beeswax is greater than the demand for honey. But what are the beekeepers supposed to do with all that extra honey? The US Department of Agriculture's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, reported a 25% decline in the US population of managed honey-bees during the past decade. Besides, honey is a healthier sugar than what most Americans eat in foods found in our grocery stores (check out the labels on the foods you buy and see how often corn syrup is an ingredient!) and some swear that eating honey (especially honey made from local bees) actually helps one build a tolerance to allergies.

One site visitor offered this: If you don't want to eat honey, try drinking it! My favorite beverage is mead, also known as honeywine!
Another way that you can help these pollinators (and others) is to PLANT FLOWERS. Choose varieties that have lots of nectar and pollen. Examples are: lily, cardinal flower, honeysuckle, bee balm, trumpet vine, abelia, scarlet salvias, blue salvias, evening primrose, morning glory, nasturtium, snapdragons, pineapple and common sages, impatients, poppies, red clover, and squash. Also, allow a part of your property to GO WILD, giving these tiny creatures places to nest and live.*

*Special thanks to the Bastrop County (Texas) Audubon Society for providing the data in the above paragraph (via its April/May 1998 newsletter).

Q. How do you remove beeswax from hair?
A. Ouch! I thought I'd better try to respond to this one quickly! Beeswax is naturally sticky so this could be a problem. Two ideas come to mind (let me know which one, if either, works):
1) use a hair dryer to warm the wax and pick/wipe it out carefully
2) place an ice bag on the wax until the wax becomes brittle enough to "chip off" off the hair.
If one doesn't work, try alternating the techniques. It may just take some time. However, beeswax is often used in lip and other skin and beauty care products, so at least it is not paraffin!