Melting Down Wax
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
Old combs are melted down in a steam wax melter, a solar wax melter, or a hot water bath.
Old combs are melted down in a steam wax melter, a solar wax melter, or a hot water bath. The solar wax melter needs summer weather and gives a low yield, because the pupal cocoons retain the wax. Work is done outside of flight activity or in a closed room, otherwise the smell triggers robbing.
In a wash boiler, the wax is separated from the slum gum: fill the boiler three-quarters full, bring to a boil, dip in the frames, and regularly skim the surface with a sieve. Liquid wax must not come into contact with bare iron, otherwise it loses its yellow color and turns gray. Wax melts at around 61 to 65 degrees Celsius; well above 85 degrees it begins to take damage and turns dark and brittle. Protective clothing is mandatory: rubber boots, an apron over them, thick gloves.
Most disease pathogens die during melting, but the spores of American Foulbrood are not reliably killed. Wax from a foulbrood cleanup must go, labeled, to wax-processing plants or be used outside of beekeeping. Residues from treatment agents accumulate in the wax and hardly break down. So it is better to take the old wax of dark combs out of circulation and use only light, young wax from drone frames and cappings for foundation.