Bees for Development Journal Edition 19 - June 1991

Page 14

VND DEVELOPMENT

BEESWAX OINTMENT Method Heat the oil for five minutes. Add the beeswax. The beeswax can be either already melted, or still in solid form. 3 Add the three capfuls of glycerine. 4. Continue to heat the mixture for five minutes. Heat, but do not allow the mixture to boil. Add perfume if desired. Pour the mixture into the containers. Allow the mixture to cool. As the mixture cools, it resembles petroleum jelly. This recipe will make approximately 810 g. 8. Store in a cool place. Candles can be used instead of beeswax. Use two candles, placing the candles into the hot oil. After the candles have melted, remove the strings from the mixture. 1.

2.

Nom

This recipe has been sent by Kathy Gau who is promoting beekeeping in Swaziland, with support from the Swaziland Ministry of Agriculture and the Near East Foundation. Kathy has found that the use of beeswax in making this ointment has been of great interest to the general population in Swaziland. The ointment resembles the petroleum jelly that is used as lip balm and as a soothing cream.

Supplies needed 750 ml cooking oil 150 g beeswax. This is equal to a tin cup half full of melted beeswax capfuls glycerine Perfume (not essential, but can be added if desired) 3

Equipment needed

Total cost

Pot for melting Heating unit, either a hot plate or fire Stick for stirring Containers for the ointment. Save old glass and plastic jars for this purpose.

Petroleum jelly in the shops: 810 g would cost US$6.32 Ointment made from home-produced beeswax: US$2.94 If made from bought beeswax: US$4.44 If made from candles: US$3.50.

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BEESWAX

OIL.

(MELTED)

LETTERS

IBRA is about to commence a project in co-operation with the Government of Tanzania's Njiro Wildlife Research Centre at Arusha. The project, which is funded by ODA, will focus on top-bar hive design. It is hoped that a volunteer position will be available to work on this project, initially for a two-year period. If you have experience of beekeeping and are interested in this volunteer post, then please send your CV and other relevant information to Nicola Bradbear at IBRA.

lam interested in the note on page 5 of the last issue concerning solar wax extractors. They are certainly wonderful little gadgets. However, it is important to understand that they are not very efficient. The wax they produce is of high quality and they are simple to operate. (Part of the high quality may be due to bleaching.) For these two reasons, their use should be encouraged. However, they do not remove all of the wax no matter how well built they are’. The only way one can remove 98 to 99 percent of the wax from old comb is to use steam, a press and to give the press time to work. In our experience it takes eight to ten hours to remove most of the wax. This is discussed further in the book that Coggshall and wrote on beeswax’. Insofar as practical beekeeping in Africa is concerned it is possible that one of the greatest things that could be done would be to build a stainless steel plant with good presses that could render (recover) what must be tonnes of beeswax lost because of inefficient harvesting methods. Also, Jim Nightingale in Kenya showed me his solar wax |

A

3 CAPEULS

GLYLERINE

TO THE EDITOR

Extracting wax efficiently

Volunteer

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racy [2,

350 inl.

4

machine. He was buying the dregs from the local beer factory and rendering useful beeswax from it. Professor Roger Morse, Cornell University,

USA. |.

2.

Lesher, C; Morse, R A (1982) The efficiency of solar wax extractors. American Bee Journal 122 (12) 820-821. Coggshall, W L; Morse, R A (1984) Beeswax: production harvesting, processing and products, Ithaca, NY, USA: Wicwas Press 192 pp.

Criticals do not come singly! It is source of hopelessness and pity that we are unable to pay the subscription for the Newsletter nor do we have wax to send. wish had the ability to participate in this special moment but unfortunately, as our people say “criticals do not come singly”. Let me again hope that may be so lucky as to be paid for and pray that God save our very special a

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Newsletter.

EL-Amin Mohammed Ahmed, West Darfur, Sudan.

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