Some studies estimate that bees must consume eight ounces of honey for every ounce of wax they produce. In order to make enough wax, worker bees need a lot of energy, and must therefore consume a lot of honey. Honey provides bees with the energy they need to survive and reproduce, as well as to build their homes. Illustration by Corlette Douglasīees collect nectar and pollen from flowers to make honey, a sugary food, for the colony. Illustration by Corlette Douglas Bees must build their honeycomb efficiently. Bees secrete wax from special glands in their abdomens. The hexagonal cells serve as storage vessels for honey, as well as homes to raise young bees. Then they chew the wax with a bit of honey and pollen to produce the beeswax. When the temperature is right, worker bees secrete wax scales from special glands in their body. Honeycombs are made from beeswax, a substance created by worker bees. See the Educator’s Toolbox for student worksheets and educator resources. Why do honeybees use hexagonal shapes to construct their honeycombs?ĭrawing from your observations of the honeycomb, use the CER worksheetto make a claim about why you think that the cells are shaped like hexagons. We often call the process of developing and explaining a claim “ CER,” for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. can be revised as more evidence is gathered and/or logical connections are made that support changes in reasoning.
It is usually based on a scientific definition, law, rule, or principle. provides “reasoning,” or a justification, that logically connects the evidence to the claim.is always supported by scientific data or “evidence.”.answers a scientific question or problem and is usually a statement about, or understanding of, a phenomenon.Let’s form a claim about the shape of those cells. You have made several observations of honeycomb cells. When scientists come across a phenomenon and are puzzled by what they observe, such as the hexagonal shape of a honeycomb cell, they will often ask questions and try to understand the phenomenon by forming a “ claim.” Scientists use their observations to make sense of the world we live in. beeswax is also used as a wax coating for fruit.īeeswax is approved for use in food in most countries, and The World Health Organisation lists beeswax as a food additive " NOT OF TOXICOLOGICAL CONCERN" 1.
to add shine to foods as a glazing agent.It may appear in or on foods in the following scenarios: Beeswax as a food additive - E901īeeswax is used as a food additive labelled E901 (which is white and yellow beeswax). Beeswax is already used in a number of ways in beauty products such as lip balm, and as a film for wrapping and preserving cheese and other food items.īeeswax is also used as a food additive. It is secreted directly from the wax-producing glands in the abdomens of young worker honeybees. However, raw beeswax contained within honeycomb is perfectly edible. You may be more familiar with inedible forms of wax, such as paraffin wax candles, although of course, beeswax is also used to make candles.
Why natural beeswax is edible and safe to eat