wax on

10 months ago by fossilesque to c/science_memes

hypna 165 points 10 months ago

How did it never occur to me to ask where bee's wax comes from?

save

path: 0 19867847, hotness: undefined, score: 165, children: 14

don 49 points 10 months ago

I mean, it’s right there in the name: beeswax, its own word.

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053, hotness: undefined, score: 49, children: 9

villainy 117 points 10 months ago

I don't know what I was expecting exactly but it wasn't little wax scales coming from their abdomen

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19868189, hotness: undefined, score: 117, children: 6

MajorMajormajormajor 37 points 10 months ago

I always kind of hoped they pooped the wax out like spider's silk.

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19868189 19869473, hotness: undefined, score: 37, children: 4

Theoriginalthon 38 points 10 months ago

I assumed it was like cream separating from milk, only wax from honey, but to be fair I have never really thought about it much

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19868189 19869473 19869901, hotness: undefined, score: 38, children: 2

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 6 points 10 months ago

I hoped they pooped it out their legs like Spiderman

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19868189 19869473 19874680, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

Swedneck 2 points 10 months ago

i think most people at some point hear that honey is basically bee vomit, and thus passively assume wax works the same way. Plus hornets literally chew up wood and spit it out, so that's even more reason to assume bees do something like that.

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19868189 19950087, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

trolololol 8 points 10 months ago

Well it's not like it's called beeswaxoutoftheiryuckysegmentedbody so we still have some room for imagination duh

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19876749, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 1

SydBa 2 points 10 months ago

Bees bodies are beautiful.

save

path: 0 19867847 19868053 19876749 19881230, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

ayyy 15 points 10 months ago

‘Cause it’s nunya

save

path: 0 19867847 19875101, hotness: undefined, score: 15, children: 2

thespcicifcocean 2 points 10 months ago

What's nutya?

save

path: 0 19867847 19875101 19876688, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 1

icelimit 9 points 10 months ago

Nunya beeswax

save

path: 0 19867847 19875101 19876688 19880559, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0

avidamoeba 7 points 10 months ago

U & me both

save

path: 0 19867847 19868951, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

Kernal64 81 points 10 months ago

I don't know why, but this grosses me out so much.

save

path: 0 19868542, hotness: undefined, score: 81, children: 12

mfed1122 95 points 10 months ago

Yeah it looks really disgusting, like it's shitting soft teeth

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684, hotness: undefined, score: 95, children: 8

Winter_Oven 63 points 10 months ago

oi you didn't need to put that image out there in the world

you could have just kept that to yourself

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19869897, hotness: undefined, score: 63, children: 4

Kernal64 15 points 10 months ago

Nobody needed to share that picture of bees making wax, either. 😩 We've all had our share of trauma from this post.

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19869897 19870588, hotness: undefined, score: 15, children: 1

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 2 points 10 months ago

I don't remember any bee wax secretion picture

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19869897 19870588 19874689, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

toynbee 5 points 10 months ago

It's basically the same thought that occurred to me, so it wouldn't have been contained.

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19869897 19871881, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 1 point 10 months ago

CORN

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19869897 19874688, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

dejected_warp_core 19 points 10 months ago

What a terrible day to know how to read.

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19872916, hotness: undefined, score: 19, children: 0

Catoblepas 14 points 10 months ago

Fuckin bee eczema 🤢

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19874611, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 1

fossilesque 3 points 10 months ago

save

path: 0 19868542 19868684 19874611 19882917, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

mr_satan 5 points 10 months ago

Fact check me, but isn't honey just bee vomit? Like it's a little bit digested nectar, no? So knowing that beeswas was is not spit or puke equivalent is less gross to me.

save

path: 0 19868542 19876376, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

BeardedGingerWonder 4 points 10 months ago

It's setting my trypophobia off for sure.

save

path: 0 19868542 19888240, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

LustyArgonianMana -2 points 10 months ago

Me too, real "Thanks, I hate it"

save

path: 0 19868542 19876526, hotness: undefined, score: -2, children: 0

dejected_warp_core 78 points 10 months ago

I knew the bees had to be secreting wax somehow. But I always imagined it to be some kind of secondary oral process. Instead they really use... specialized pores under the segments in their thorax?

Now I don't know which version grosses me out more.

save

path: 0 19872908, hotness: undefined, score: 78, children: 9

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 29 points 10 months ago

It's not like you ain't got glands

save

path: 0 19872908 19874675, hotness: undefined, score: 29, children: 1

Canonical_Warlock 15 points 10 months ago

Ey gril, can I get a peak at them glands?

I prefer adrenal by thyroid also works in a pinch.

save

path: 0 19872908 19874675 19876040, hotness: undefined, score: 15, children: 0

tomenzgg 17 points 10 months ago

Definitely the latter, for me; something about segmented holes just grosses the absolute Hell out of me.

save

path: 0 19872908 19875514, hotness: undefined, score: 17, children: 4

deltapi 8 points 10 months ago

I've got bad news for you about woolen fabrics...

save

path: 0 19872908 19875514 19880838, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 1

tomenzgg 4 points 10 months ago

Haha; I think the wool's too fuzzy and not rigid enough to bother me. I've been trying to get more into the fiber arts in the last few years, too, so definitely not a problem that I've noticed.

save

path: 0 19872908 19875514 19880838 19882159, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

Tonava 6 points 10 months ago

save

path: 0 19872908 19875514 19881761, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 1

tomenzgg 6 points 10 months ago

Almost definitely; I don't know if there's a degree that's necessary to qualify as I can still look at it without breaking eye contact (though I hate it). But I have a deep desire to rip that shit up the entire time; deeply repulsive, whatever the reason. Honeycombs don't bother me, though; I dunno.

save

path: 0 19872908 19875514 19881761 19882239, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

ook 14 points 10 months ago

save

path: 0 19872908 19875242, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 1

Mist101 4 points 10 months ago

Easy, stored in the bee-balls, that's why they're called BBs.

save

path: 0 19872908 19875242 19881018, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

user1234 62 points 10 months ago

I guess you can say it's a small scale operation

save

path: 0 19872880, hotness: undefined, score: 62, children: 0

Johandea 55 points 10 months ago

Wikipedia has some actually useful units regarding it's production.

The new wax is initially clear as glass and colorless, becoming opaque after chewing and being introduced with pollen by the hive worker bees, becoming progressively yellower or browner by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis. The wax scales are about three millimetres across and 0.1 mm thick, and about 1100 are needed to make a gram of wax. Worker bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells. For the wax-making bees to secrete wax, the ambient temperature in the hive must be 33 to 36°C.

The book Beeswax Production, Harvesting, Processing and Products suggests one kilogram of beeswax is sufficient to store 22 kg of honey. Another study estimated that one kilogram of wax can store 24 to 30 kg of honey.

save

path: 0 19876171, hotness: undefined, score: 55, children: 0

don 50 points 10 months ago

What’ll really bake your noodle later on is the wax is made from honey.

save

path: 0 19868177, hotness: undefined, score: 50, children: 12

meekah 64 points 10 months ago

I mean, the whole bee is, if you think about it

save

path: 0 19868177 19870764, hotness: undefined, score: 64, children: 5

Jimbabwe 27 points 10 months ago

If you want to make a bee from scratch, you must first invent the universe

save

path: 0 19868177 19870764 19873423, hotness: undefined, score: 27, children: 2

BanMe 7 points 10 months ago

It's bees all the way down

save

path: 0 19868177 19870764 19873423 19874739, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

deadbeef79000 5 points 10 months ago

Calm down Sagan.

save

path: 0 19868177 19870764 19873423 19874273, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

TachyonTele 23 points 10 months ago

Whoa hey now, you're not going to get me to think that easily

save

path: 0 19868177 19870764 19871486, hotness: undefined, score: 23, children: 0

LibertyLizard 10 points 10 months ago

Mostly pollen actually. The honey is just the fuel.

save

path: 0 19868177 19870764 19871121, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 0

mic_check_one_two 32 points 10 months ago

Sort of like how the spit in your mouth, the tears in your eyes, the snot in your nose, etc is primarily made of filtered blood.

save

path: 0 19868177 19871245, hotness: undefined, score: 32, children: 2

captainlezbian 10 points 10 months ago

Evolution does not create from nothing, it repurposes and modifies what's on hand.

save

path: 0 19868177 19871245 19873496, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 0

Opisek 7 points 10 months ago

I don't know how I feel about this new revelation

save

path: 0 19868177 19871245 19876017, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

Nindelofocho 6 points 10 months ago

I never really thought about it but bees are fuckin weird

save

path: 0 19868177 19870750, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

blazeknave 6 points 10 months ago

👋😬

Hi. So.. how do bees work? Eli5

save

path: 0 19868177 19872057, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 1

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 3 points 10 months ago

First they go to the unembeeployment office to see where they'd benefit the hive

save

path: 0 19868177 19872057 19874694, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

Seaguy05 33 points 10 months ago

Hey man, let them live their lives. Mind your own bees wax... It's not your wax, it's the bees wax.

save

path: 0 19868159, hotness: undefined, score: 33, children: 3

TeamAssimilation 19 points 10 months ago

Everyone should mind their beesness.

save

path: 0 19868159 19868232, hotness: undefined, score: 19, children: 2

Seaguy05 6 points 10 months ago

It was right there and it flew right by me.

save

path: 0 19868159 19868232 19872342, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

Zozano 3 points 10 months ago

Back in my day, minding your own beesness was the bee's knees!

save

path: 0 19868159 19868232 19871714, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

tidderuuf 29 points 10 months ago

He should use Head & Shoulders, will clear that right up.

save

path: 0 19868022, hotness: undefined, score: 29, children: 0

RedSnt 29 points 10 months ago

Apparently a strong hive can have a colony of around 60,000 bees, so 500000/16 = 31250 bees, meaning it's possible, albeit unlikely because not all bees work the same, but it is almost theoretically possible for a big colony to make 2 lbs a day then.

Assuming flakes and scales are the same thing as well.

save

path: 0 19872311, hotness: undefined, score: 29, children: 0

RagingRobot 24 points 10 months ago

It looks like one side of this bee is clogged

save

path: 0 19871172, hotness: undefined, score: 24, children: 0

fmstrat 22 points 10 months ago

But is a flake the same as a scale? Bad explanation.

save

path: 0 19878025, hotness: undefined, score: 22, children: 0

Geometrinen_Gepardi 19 points 10 months ago

If you spread that stuff on wood or leather, it'll last forever.

save

path: 0 19869565, hotness: undefined, score: 19, children: 3

sobchak 17 points 10 months ago

TIL beeswax is pretty cheap. I typically use shellac on stuff that is indoor and low wear, Looks like beeswax is cheaper and about as easy to apply.

save

path: 0 19869565 19872038, hotness: undefined, score: 17, children: 2

YerbaYerba 16 points 10 months ago

Fun fact: shellac is an insect product too

save

path: 0 19869565 19872038 19872234, hotness: undefined, score: 16, children: 1

PolarKraken 7 points 10 months ago

Just out here rubbing bug goo on plant corpses, guess we're weirder than the bees

save

path: 0 19869565 19872038 19872234 19882157, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

kazerniel 18 points 10 months ago

I never thought about it, but beeswax is kinda disgusting, basically ass-grease :P

save

path: 0 19881302, hotness: undefined, score: 18, children: 4

Dasus 12 points 10 months ago

And honey is more or less vomit if you want to think about like that.

Then again, if you do, remember that your cafe latte is also just boob fat and protein with some bean juice.

save

path: 0 19881302 19885959, hotness: undefined, score: 12, children: 3

kazerniel 2 points 10 months ago

Yea, I'm vegan, so I'm mindful of milk and honey (and yes, they're disgusting), just never really thought about what process wax exactly came from.

save

path: 0 19881302 19885959 19900295, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 2

Dasus 2 points 10 months ago

You'll probably hate this song then

Roxette - Milk And Toast And Honey

save

path: 0 19881302 19885959 19900295 19900521, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 1

psud 2 points 10 months ago

They probably also hate that animal agriculture is required for permaculture. But they hate a lot, so the song is just a little bit

save

path: 0 19881302 19885959 19900295 19900521 19906300, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

horseloaf 17 points 10 months ago

How many flakes in a scale?

save

path: 0 19870185, hotness: undefined, score: 17, children: 1

ivanafterall 3 points 10 months ago

How about a morsel? A chunk?

save

path: 0 19870185 19879356, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

Rcklsabndn 14 points 10 months ago

How many bee jackets to make a tube of all natural chap stick?

save

path: 0 19879077, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 0

realitista 11 points 10 months ago

Eww

save

path: 0 19871874, hotness: undefined, score: 11, children: 1

ivanafterall 1 point 10 months ago

Yeeeeah. Blech. No offense, bees, but keep that shit private.

save

path: 0 19871874 19879338, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

tdawg 10 points 10 months ago

Gross, but also neat

save

path: 0 19868923, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 0

visnudeva 9 points 10 months ago

Very hairy for a beeswax producer.

save

path: 0 19875865, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 1

FauxPseudo 16 points 10 months ago

Any female bee in the hive will go through all the jobs available depending on their age. The bees you see flying around are at the end of the life cycle. Bees make wax from days 12 to 18. By the time they go foraging they are 21+ days old and no longer have the fuzziness of youth.

save

path: 0 19875865 19878966, hotness: undefined, score: 16, children: 0

jayambi 7 points 10 months ago

how many burgers is one lb?

save

path: 0 19869877, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 9

meekah 10 points 10 months ago

you do know what quarter pounder means right?

save

path: 0 19869877 19870749, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 6

fakeman_pretendname 13 points 10 months ago

🇬🇧 - It means it costs 25 pence, or £0.25.