the magic of the universe in bee math
Winged Masters
I love bees and their gift of beeswax. Bees are mathematicians, calculating the magic of the universe.
Bee math calculates the size and shape of the bee hive. Bees can smell natural sugars in pollen and they calculate how much they need for the hive. It's the hive mind at work.
The worker bees (females) collect pollen all day, while the drones (males) keep the hive clean and operating smoothly for the queen.
Premium beeswax is the extra wax that is delicately harvested, leaving the hive undisturbed. It is carefully and minimally processed to keep as much of its beneficial nutrients as possible. This includes leaving its natural, intoxicating honey perfume intact.
You can always spot excellent beeswax by its brilliant yellow color and perfume. This is what we use for our lip balm at Ithaca Soap and LiXTiK Beeswax Lip Balm.
Good beeswax lip balm is limonene free
Beeswax Lip Balm
Good beeswax lip balms are made with a soothing vegetable oil, such as olive, coconut, sunflower, safflower, premium yellow beeswax, and water processed essential oils or natural flavorings and possibly natural colorings. That's it!
Any other ingredients are usually fillers and possibly natural known skin irritants, like alcohols and limonene.
If you put a lip balm on your lips and you feel as if all of the moisture has been sucked out of your lips, masked by cooling peppermint, you have just put a skin irritant on your lips, causing a dehydration feeling. This causes you to use more lip balm, by giving you the initial relief of the natural oil and beeswax smooth feeling. It's an advertising tactic and manufacturing trick to get you to purchase more lip balm.
Peppermint lip balm without hidden limonene, is truly cooling and hydrating.
Bees don't fly
Bees Levitate
The shape and size of bees compared to the size of their wings, make it mathematically improbable that they are actually flying. They flap their wings rapidly enough so they levitate. This is more bee math at work.
When bees are hatching and include a new queen, a hive can only support one queen. The new bees and their queen, swarm, meaning they move out.
They all leave the hive together, and fly in a clump to a nearby location and have a discussion. When they come to consensus, they all fly away to their new home.
The photo to the left is one I took, when one of our beekeeper's hives had a split. The bees levitate as high as the treetops above the hive they are leaving. Then they come together into a clump, and fly away, swishing through the air in magical shapes, until they settle on a meeting place.
This was in a wild rose bush in my front yard. As they were in discussion, I sat at the "entrance" to the spot they chose. Their vibrations are very pleasing and enjoyable to witness.
What is pollen?
What do Bees Eat?
Pollen is the only protein source for the bees. They need this to make more baby bees. Without pollen, they can't replace themselves in their short 6 week life. It's all about the hive for bees. This is so very different than an individual mindset of a human.
The wax color variation has to do with the nutrition the bees are able to get. Commercial bees are tricked into eating processed sugars to speed up and increase their honey production. This lack of nutrition can cause color variation.
Beeswax does come in other colors:
Brown-ish wax is dirty with hive debris and excess waste, pictured to the right. It's kinda ugly, but can be filled with good nutrients. You won't know, until it is sufficiently cleaned and the true color is revealed.
Light yellow color is wax that has been processed carelessly, retaining very little nutrients or benefits.
White beeswax is dead with practically no nutritional value at all.
Beeswax hydrates hair, skin, and lips
How we use beeswax
- Since 1999, we have been committed to working with small bee keepers, providing the highest quality beeswax lip balm with the most health benefits. Lip care with conditioning beeswax, contains a naturally occurring SPF of 4.
- LiXTiK Beeswax Lip Balm has an unlimited shelf life without the addition of synthetic preservatives.
- Our lip balm contains anti-oxidant naturally occurring Vitamin E, certified organic coconut and certified organic sunflower (USA grown) oils, 100% pure natural essential oils.
- One application lasts for hours.
- Lip Balm soothes and smoothes chapped lips. It can also be used as a lotion to heal cracked, sore hands, rough heals and peeling foot bottoms, and dry facial skin.
- Free from petroleum, limonene, parabens, alcohols, artificial and mineral colors, artificial fragrances, sodium laural and sodium laureth sulfates, antibiotics, unsustainable palm oil (we don't use it at all), GMO's in all forms, soy, corn, wheat, canola and lanolin oils. Really, there's only 4 ingredients:
Organic coconut and sunflower oils, beeswax, 100% water processed essential oils (in scented/flavored lip balms only).
Whatis Beeswax good for?
Where to use beeswax
In addition to excellent skin care, beeswax is good for so many things.
- Beautiful smelling candles
- Coating cotton as a water repellent for kitchen storage and outerwear rain gear
- Drawer slides- rub a little beeswax where your dresser drawers stick
- Beautiful non toxic wood finish (pictured here during our house building adventure)
- Hair conditioner
- Lip Balm (of course)
- Hand cream
- Housing for bees
- Use in place of glue
This is a short list. The uses are unlimited.
Swarms are loud
My 1st swarm experience
Love all bees!
I was so moved by my 1st swarm, that I created this shawl, The Swarm.
It is wool, dyed with non toxic plant and insect dyes, wet felted.
I was hanging my laundry when a swarm of bees flew over me. This piece depicts my favorite fancy dress laundry load.
In this swarm their new home was a new hollow tree across the road. You can spot the queen. The scout bees are already at the new tree, while everyone else is getting ready to fly over. They sounded like a jet engine taking off over my head. As you can see, I dropped my basket, since I instinctively ducked, before I realized what I was witnessing.
Please bee mindful this year and leave the bees alone, instead of killing them because you are afraid. Without bees, there is no food. Thank you for taking part!