Shortage of Beeswax Brings a Surprise - Natural White Beeswax

One of the disadvantages of Australia having amazing beeswax is that the world wants to buy it all.

Australia is the only country that is not infected by the varroa mite and therefore our beekeepers are not using miticides (chemicals to kill the mite). Our chemical free beeswax is the most sought after wax in the world, mainly for the cosmetic industry, but also for many other makers including candle makers.

In the last few months tonnes of Australian beeswax has been sold overseas and, due to the demand for our candles, has left us short of wax! A few weeks ago we were down to our last few blocks... a little stressful in these busy times.

So, new beekeepers were needed, many phone calls to friends who introduced us to new beekeepers.... leading to many hours of traveling around our region.  Meeting many wonderful people who went out of their way to help, amazing time.

One trip made was on the way to Bentley. A pile of beeswax waited in the shed, mostly the yellow wax renown in our area. What we didn't expect was a few blocks, hidden in the stack, of white beeswax.

White beeswax that is naturally created by the bees is rare in our area. The colour comes from the nectar and pollen the bees gather, for example bright yellow beeswax can be created from the bees gathering from dandelion flowers.

We asked the beekeeper what the bees were feeding on... unknown, clover? We don't know.

So now we have a few blocks of white and we feel that this is a special find that should be used for special candles. We have already asked a few friends what they would like... candle sticks for the Christmas celebrations seem to be the most requested.

The white beeswax has been described as a sophisticated look. Soft, "creamy-white", not harsh. Fits into any decor.