Extracting Wax From Old Honeycomb

I was dreading this process because I read about how messy it is, but it wasn't that bad at all.

This weekend, I finally decided to do something with that bucket of old honeycomb that was sitting in my shed. Here are the tools that came in handy:

1. 3 gal aluminum pot ($5 at a garage sale)
2. ladle ($2.50 thrift store)
3. 3 gallon plastic bucket (free from the back of a restaurant)
4. 3 gal. paint strainer cloth ($2.50 hardware store)
(I also got a plastic sieve, but ended up not needing it because the paint strainer cloth does the job just fine)

I filled the large aluminum pot half way with hot water and brought to a boil. Then I added all of the honey comb. I then waited until all of the wax melted. A lot of dark brown stuff came floating to the top. That's slumgum. It's good for compost and also for starting fires or using in a wood fueled camping stove.

Then I took my operation outside to avoid making a mess in the kitchen. On a level spot in the back yard, I stretched the paint strainer cloth over the plastic bucket and poured the whole mess through the paint strainer. Then I tied off the paint strainer and hung it up over the bucket to drain.

It took hours for the mixture to cool off, but in the end a beautiful golden 1" layer of bees wax hardened on top of the brown water beneath. I lifted the wax out and set on newspaper to dry. The leftover water went in the garden (bees are attracted to the water because it smells like honey. So cover it up if you plan to let it sit outside, otherwise bees will drown in it).