Wax and combs
Bees that build their own combs are less inclined to swarm, as the pheromones released during wax production inform the queen about the increase in the volume of the hive.
The wax originates from specialized glands located in the abdomen of young wax-producing worker bees approximately 12 days old, developing in an environment with temperatures between 33 °C and 36 °C. These workers consume large amounts of sugar for wax production, about 7.5 kg to produce 1 kg of wax. The wax appears in the form of small scales weighing less than 1 mg. Using her hind legs, the bee brings them to her mandibles, kneads them, and assembles them
Wax is composed of more than 300 different substances, including:
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monoesters 35 % hydrocarbons 14 % diesters 14 % free acids 12 % hydroxy-polyesters 8 % hydroxy-monoesters 4 % triesters 3 % polyester acids 2 % ester acids 1 % free alcohols 1 % unidentified 6 % |
In the wax combs, propolis and pollen grains are also present. Bees incorporate 5 to 10 % pollen and propolis into the wax scales. These combs have remarkable strength: 20 grams of wax can hold up to 2 kilograms of honey!
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The hexagonal shape: bees first construct cylinders around themselves, using their bodies as a reference for size. The hexagonal form results from the heating of the wax by the colony. The more the wax is heated, the more malleable it becomes. At around 40 °C, it can be shaped; above 45 °C, it melts. The phases observed during the bees’ construction work can be artificially reproduced: if small wax tubes are bundled together and heated to 40 °C, it can be observed that the round cells gradually and automatically transform into hexagons. This is therefore a principle of physics rather than a sophisticated mathematical construction. The bee optimizes the weight-to-strength ratio of the comb. |
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During comb construction, from mid-March to mid-July, bees emit pheromones that inform the queen about the colony’s capacity for expansion. This signal, combined with the intake of pollen and nectar, is an important indicator for the queen’s egg-laying activity. During this period, the beekeeper must ensure that empty frames or top bars are provided to allow the colony to expand and to build up honey reserves.
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The visible part of each cell is a regular hexagon with a side length of ~3 mm, a width of ~5 mm, and an area of ~23 mm². The depth of a cell is ~11.5 mm. The thickness of its walls is about one twentieth of a millimetre. The base of each cell is connected to three others by a surface composed of three rhombi. |
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The operculum is a thin wax cap that seals the cells. The one covering honey is white and impermeable. The one sealing the brood is yellow-orange in colour and permeable in order to allow the pupae to breathe. The worker bees retrieve the wax pellet they had stored at the edge of the cell for this purpose and seal the cell at the appropriate time (9 days after egg laying for the brood, and when the honey reaches a moisture content of 18 %).
Sources:
- http://www.catoire-fantasque.be/animaux/abeille/cire/
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cire_d'abeille
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alv%C3%A9ole_d'abeille
- https://www.google.ch/search?q=abeille+glande+ciri%C3%A8re&biw=2560&bih=1285&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiI-o6lr_jQAhUH0xQKHXMbC90Q_AUIBigB
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