> One question now...what do we do with the cappings that we have
> strained..are these good for beeswax candles and how do you get
> the stickiness out of them? Does melting them over hot water like
> you do any wax  do the job?
>
Meri,
   Capping wax is more valuable pound for pound than beeswax.
   In theory, the cappings can be processed and sold to be used in
candle-making and other art work. Or the beekeeper can make candles and
other beeswax goodies from the wax.
   In practice, the cappings are a mess and take much longer to deal
with than extracted honey.
   Gooey cappings can be stored in a freezer indefinitely (in a plastic
bag inside a cardboard box.)
   How are the cappings separated from the honey?
   How are they separated in an economical way?
   How are they separated in an economical way that recovers as much
honey as possible from them?
   (Cappings melters are available that use heat to separate the wax
from the honey.)
   Cappings can be cleaned by soaking in water or the wax can be
separated by heating the cappings over water. Keep the wax away from
open flame.
   Or wax and cappings can be separated by melting the cappings, stuffed
into nylon stockings, in a solar wax melter. The solar wax melter can be
designed to allow the melting wax to drip into a pan, producing a block
of wax that floats on and hardens above a layer of honey.
   The wax can be melted again and again in an attempt to clean it
further. For instance, the wax can be put into artfully-cut, gallon
plastic milk jugs, melted in the solar wax melter, and the clean wax at
the top of the wax puddle can be poured into disposable cups.
    Perhaps I am not the only beekeeper who always has some wax that
needs further processing.
Tim
--
Tim Sterrett
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(southeastern) Pennsylvania, USA
40.0 N 75.5 W