Honeybees in Autumn: Preparing for Winter - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 98

1. Beeswax is solid at room temperature and melts at around 145 to 147°F,
thehighestmeltingpointofallwaxes.Beeswaxcandlesburnlongerthan
other types of candles.
2. You know you have pure beeswax when a whitish, powdery deposit ap-
pears on the surface of your wax after it is stored for some time. This
powder is called bloom, and it can be removed simply by rubbing the
wax with a soft cloth or gently applying heat with a hair dryer.
3. The expression “It's none of your beeswax” is a common phrase, often
said to young children, that means “It's none of your business.” It may
have stemmed from a time when only the upper class could read and
write. Before envelopes were used for written correspondence, letters
were folded and sealed with a drop of beeswax and then hand stamped
with a ring depicting the family's seal. This sealing method insured pri-
vacy while the letter was in transit.
Between taking care of my hive and mixing up my beeswax salves, I was devoting
moreandmoretimetomyhoneybeesandpayinglessattentiontomydayjob.Also,the
nature of the giftware-importing business I worked for changed rapidly; the company
eventually decided to close down its wholesale and design departments and focus on
retail. Luckily, this change gave me an opportunity to take the plunge into beekeeping
and making and marketing my products full-time. Why not? I had been developing and
marketing products successfully for other companies, and it was time for me to take on
the role of the queen bee.