>Not sure if this implies that the bees will reuse cappings to draw new comb or not. The bees will readily, eagerly suck remaining honey from cappings but I do not believe they will do anything with the remaining wax.
I put cappings into a feeder a long time ago when I had just started beekeeping. They removed the honey and build the most amazing comb sculptures in the feeder from the wax; I think that I took a photo - but it would not have been digital, so buried in all those thousands of prints and slides up in the attic waiting for me to have the time to do something with them when I am really old!
I would never feed back cappings these days as it is such a good way to spread disease unless you can feed them back to the hive they came from. Also very likely to start robbing.
>Then into the solar melter in 30# batches. I put the cappings in cheese cloth bags that filter the slum-gum very well. Result is a bright yellow cake of wax floating on some slightly overheated honey. The honey is still fine for bakery grade or feed.
I used to use a solar melter. But with the temperature going up to 250ºF+ I cannot imagine anyone eating the honey (toffee!) that would be highly flavoured with molten wax.
Best wishes
Peter
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W
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