hello, everyone.  i'm not a beekeeper, i'm  didjeridu player.  a didjeridu
(for those of you who don't know, which may be many of you) is a musical
instrument of australian aboriginal origins.  it's essentially a hollow
tube which the player blows in.  traditional aboriginal instruments are
made out of eucalyptus branches that have been hollowed out by termites.
in this country, people make didjes out of yucca and agave.  some people
also construct didjes out of various materials, including different types
of would and even pvc and abs pipe.
 
what does all this have to do with beekeeping?  well, the most common
material used for the mouthpiece is beeswax.  the question came up recently
as to risk of infection (colds, herpes, bacterial infections, etc.) from
sharing instruments.  i know that honey is an effective anti-bacterial
agent (i've used it with success myself), but didn't know if beeswax has
any similar properties.
 
if it does, is its effectiveness limited to bacteria, or is it also
effective against viruses?  does the fact that the microbes would be
sitting on (rather than, say, covered by) the beeswax affect its
effectiveness?
 
thanks.
 
michael