> I've been cleaning out swarm cells and bridge comb and stuff, and
> tossing it on the ground, assuming that the bees would scavenge
> the wax and use it in the hive.  But mostly the wax is just sitting
> there.  Do bees reuse old wax?  Should I leave it there, or should
> I just go ahead and melt it down?

First, you likely should not be cutting & scraping unless the hive is so
gummed up you cannot disassemble it, and even then only cut what has to be
cut to get things apart and together again.  The bees know what they are
doing and seldom need any help from people.  There are a few things you canb
do from time to time -- such as treating for diseases, splitting, supering &
wrapping -- that may assist them, but otherwise what people do to bees
mainly tends to hold them back.

Bees can only re-use wax that is inside the hive AFAIK.  Leaving it lying
around is an invitation to skunks and other nuisance animals, and the wax
will stick to your feet on the next warm day, so bee tidy and clean your
yard every time you leave it.

> And does anyone know where I can find plans for a wiring jig and
> instructions on how to wire frames?  I've got 40 frames to wire, and none
> of the proper tools to get them tight enough.

Wiring frames is pretty well obsolete now, but you can get the supplies and
instructions to do it at any bee supply house.

allen