Wax Capping

The Honey is Ready

The bees work very hard. They fan the wet nectar. The water goes away. The nectar turns into thick honey. The hexagon cell is full. The bees see the full cell. The food is ready. They must protect it. They need a lid. This lid is a wax capping. The capping covers the open cell. It traps the sweet honey inside.

The Wax Glands

Where do bees get this wax? They make it! A young worker bee is the best wax maker. She eats a lot of honey. The honey gives her energy. She makes wax with this energy. She has eight tiny wax glands. These glands live on her abdomen. The abdomen is the bee's belly. The glands are like little wax factories. They push the wax out through her skin. The wax touches the air. It turns into a hard flake. The bee must make many flakes. One single wax lid takes many flakes.

Chewing the Wax

The wax is very hard at first. The bee must make it soft. She uses her legs. She grabs a flake. She moves the flake to her mouth. The bee chews the hard wax. She mixes it with her spit. Chewing makes the wax warm. The wax gets soft and stretchy. It acts just like bubblegum. You chew hard gum. The gum gets soft. The bee does the exact same thing. She chews and chews. The wax turns into a soft paste. Now she can use it.

Building the Perfect Lid

Now the bee has soft wax. She walks to the full honey cell. She spreads the wax across the top. She carefully seals the edges. The bee builds a flat roof. The cell is a hexagon shape. This six-sided shape is very special. Hexagons hold the most honey. They also use the least amount of wax 1. This makes the hexagon the best shape. The bees do not waste any wax. They do not waste any space.

Teamwork on the Honeycomb

One bee cannot cap all the cells. The hive has thousands of cells. Many bees must work together. They stand side by side. They share the soft wax. One bee starts the wax lid. Another bee finishes the lid. They work like a busy factory. They move fast. They never stop. The bees cover row after row.

Fresh White Wax

New beeswax is very clean. It is bright white. You can see the white wax. It sits on the honeycomb. White wax shows fresh honey. Older wax turns yellow or brown. The bees walk on the old wax. Their dirty feet change the color. But the new caps are always pure white. A beekeeper looks for these white caps. The white caps show a finished job.

A Safe Food Wrapper

The wax lid is a great tool. It acts like a tight jar lid. It keeps dirt out of the honey. It keeps extra water out too. The wax keeps the honey safe. People use beeswax in their kitchens today. We make special food wraps out of beeswax. These wraps cover our bowls. They keep our food clean and safe 2. The bees use wax for the exact same reason. They want clean food.

Food for the Future

The bees cap thousands of cells. They make a huge wall of capped honey. This wall is their pantry. The food stays fresh inside the wax. It will not spoil. Next, you will learn a secret. You will learn about long-lasting honey. The bees will need this food later. Winter will come soon. There will be no flowers outside. The whole hive family will stay inside. They will open the wax lids. They will eat the sweet honey. The bees will stay full and happy.

Key Terms

• capping — The wax lid that a bee builds to seal a full honey cell.
• wax gland — A special body part on the bee's belly that makes tiny hard flakes of wax.
• hexagon 1 — A shape with six sides that holds the most honey while using the least amount of wax.