Give ME the hives will you??

Hives mean Bees and Bees mean Beeswax!

We use our fair share of beeswax to make what some have called the finest lip balm in the USA.  It is the essential ingredient to a high end lip balm for moisture and protection.  But what is beeswax?

From several web sources we learn:

Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols. Typically, for a honey beekeeper, 10 pounds of honey yields 1 pound of wax.^[1]


The wax is formed by worker bees (the females), who secrete it from eight wax-producing mirror glands on the inner sides of the sternites (the ventral shield or plate of each segment of the body) on abdominal segments 4 to 7. The sizes of these wax glands depend on the age of the worker and after daily flights begin these glands gradually atrophy. The new wax scales are initially glass-clear and colorless (see illustration), becoming opaque after mastication by the worker bee. The wax of honeycomb is nearly white, but becomes progressively more yellow or brown by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis. The wax scales are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) across and 0.1 millimetres (0.0039 in) thick, and about 1100 are required to make a gram of wax.^[2]
Honey bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells in which their young are raised and honey and pollen are stored. For the wax-making bees to secrete wax, the ambient temperature in the hive has to be 33 to 36 °C (91 to 97 °F). To produce their wax, bees must consume about eight times as much honey by mass. It is estimated that bees fly 150,000 miles, roughly six times around the earth, to yield one pound of beeswax (530,000 km/kg).


When beekeepers extract the honey, they cut off the wax caps from each honeycomb cell with an uncapping knife or machine. Its color varies from nearly white to brownish, but most often a shade of yellow, depending on purity and the type of flowers gathered by the bees. Wax from the brood comb of the honey bee hive tends to be darker than wax from the honeycomb. Impurities accumulate more quickly in the brood comb. Due to the impurities, the wax has to be rendered before further use. The leftovers are called slumgum.
The wax may further be clarified by heating in water. As with petroleum waxes, it may be softened by dilution with vegetable oil to make it more workable at room temperature.

• Beeswax is mainly used to make honeycomb foundation for reuse by the bees.
• Purified and bleached beeswax is used in the production of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals:
  • As a coating for cheese, to protect the food as it ages. As a food additive, it is known as E901 (glazing agent).
  • As a skin care product, a German study found beeswax to be superior to similar "barrier creams" (usually mineral oil based creams, such as petroleum jelly), when used according to its protocol.^[8]
  • Beeswax is an ingredient in moustache wax, as well as hair pomades.
  • Beeswax is an ingredient in surgical bone wax.
  • Beeswax is an ingredient in the best lip balm in the world made by Alliance Packaging Group.

• Candles
  • Beeswax was traditionally prescribed as the material (or at least a significant part of the material) for the Paschal candle ("Easter candle") and is recommended for other candles used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.^[9]
  • Beeswax is used commercially to make fine candles.

• Although only about 10,000 tons are produced annually, a variety of niche uses exist:^[10]
  • As a component of shoe polish
  • As a component of furniture polish, dissolved in turpentine, sometimes blended with linseed or tung oil
  • As a component of modeling waxes.
  • As a blended with pine rosin, beeswax serves as an adhesive to attach reed plates to the structure inside a squeezebox.
  • Used to make Cutler's resin.
  • Used in Eastern Europe in egg decoration. It is used for writing, via resist dyeing, on batik eggs (as in pysanky) and for making beaded eggs.
  • Formerly used in the manufacturing of the cylinders used by the earliest phonographs.
  • Used by percussionists to make a surface on tambourines for thumb rolls.
  
  Now you know the rest of the story!
  The Pied Piper

March Madness is 90 Degrees in Wisconsin

As all of us long time residents of the upper Midwest know, March is a mysterious month.  Rain, sleet, snow, sun, wind, cold, not as cold, almost not cold and often almost warm all in the same day.   To be the epicenter of awesome weather in the US is not our usual m.o.  But here we sit setting record after record with mild winds to make our entire ecosystem think that it is summer!  Bugs are out, flowers are blooming, seeds are being planted.

The weather man said last week, the computer model showed only increasing and very nice temperatures into the future as far as the he could see. We know it won't last but how nice to be the new Arizona or Florida instead of the new Tennessee in these days of global warming.

So we are ramping up our production of sun screens and SPF lip balms.  You have to go with the flow!

I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter.

Yesterday was chocolate day in the back.  Chris and Lee were cooking up a big batch of our dark chocolate based cocoa noir for lip balm making.  The whole plant and offices were awash in the delicious aroma of chocolate.  Is it any surprise that there are now cookies available in the office area.  One good day of absorbing the chocolate lead to baking sessions at home and sweet dreams for all.

Things about chocolate:


A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies. – Robert Paul

Put “eat chocolate” at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you’ll get one thing done.

There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. – Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers

After a bar of chocolate one can forgive anybody, even one’s relatives.

There are only three things in life that matter – good friends, good chocolate and, oh dear, what was that other one?

Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. – Sandra Boynton

A little too much chocolate is just about right.

Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays.

If chocolate is the answer, the question is irrelevant.

I take chocolate from strangers.

There’s a thin person inside of me screaming to get out, but I keep her sedated with chocolate.



Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don’t need an appointment.

Chocolate isn’t a food, it’s a medicine – an anti-depressant.

Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate! – Elaine Sherman, Book of Divine Indulgences

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already. – Dave Barry

Eating chocolate can have significant influences on mood, generally leading to an increase in pleasant feelings and a reduction in tension. – Peter Rogers, Ph.D., Institute of Food Research

When no one understands you, chocolate is there.

Hot fudge fills deep needs. – Susan Isaacs



The 12-step chocoholics program: NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE! – Terry Moore

I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter.



So noble a confection, more than nectar & ambrosia, the true food of the gods. – Dr. Bachot, 1662

The Greek term theobroma (Latin name for cacao) means literally food of the gods. Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil, but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.




Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces. – Judith Viorst

If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage? – Marquise de Sévigné



Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits. – Baron Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), German chemist
The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain. – Thomas Jefferson

All of the evil that people have thrust upon chocolate is really more deserved by milk chocolate, which is essentially contaminated. The closer you get to a pure chocolate liquor (the chocolate essence ground from roasted cacao beans) the purer it is, the more satisfying it is, the safer it is, and the healthier it is. – Arnold Ismach, The Darker Side of Chocolate

Chocolate is a Vegetable: chocolate is derived from cocoa beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable. To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy. So candy bars are a health food.

I do recommend a piece of good-quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack . . . It is a source of polyphenols, the same type of antioxidants found in red wine, and the fat it contains is stearic acid, which doesn’t affect cholesterol levels. The latest good news for chocolate lovers comes from a study indicating that flavonoids in chocolate are good for your heart. These compounds reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. By eating a 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar, you get the same amount of these protective compounds as in a 5-ounce glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. – Andrew Weil, M.D.

Nitric oxide plays such an important role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure and, in turn, cardiovascular health. If our research results continue to support a link between consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and nitric oxide synthesis, there could be significant implications for public health. – Norman Hollenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School

Chocolate contains large amounts of the same beneficial plant chemicals that now have burnished the reputation of tea. In fact, just one ounce of chocolate has about as much of these plant chemicals as a cup of brewed black tea. One large, ongoing study of the benefits of exercise found that men who eat chocolate in moderation live longer than those who eat none. – University of California-Berkeley Wellness Letter

We already know that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables results in an increase of antioxidants in our blood. We believe chocolate consumption may have the same effect. We forget that chocolate is derived from cocoa beans-the fruit of the cacao tree-a fruit that is a rich source of these potentially beneficial substances. – Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Chocolate just stands out [for antioxidant content]. It’s much higher than anything else. – Joe Vinson, Ph.D., University of Scranton

Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food. – Michael Levine, nutrition researcher
In 1724, Dr. Richard Brookes claimed that chocolate prolonged life and cured ringworm and ulcers. He also suggested cocoa butter for skin treatment, piles and gout.

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process…. It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?

Peppermint is a land we love.

Do you remember the first time you had peppermint?  Most likely not, you would have been too young.
Peppermint has been a staple of the American kid's diet for a very long time.  I remember peppermint patties, peppermint mints, sticks, ice cream, candies, bark and many variations on theme.  It all comes back to me as I walked through production this morning.  Lee and Chris are cooking peppermint and we smell good today.

Earliest Recorded Uses of Peppermint.

Pliny (23-79 AD), Roman scientist and historian, recorded that the Greeks and Romans used peppermint to flavor sauces and their wines. Sprays of peppermint also adorned their tables.

Ancient Greek physicians used two different species of mint but some experts doubt that either was what we know as peppermint today. There is however, evidence that the Egyptians cultivated M. piperita. It's also mentioned in thirteenth century Icelandic Pharmacopoeias. It wasn't until the middle of the 18th century that peppermint was cultivated for its medicinal properties in Western Europe and England.

History of Peppermint in England.

Peppermint is thought to be a native English plant and possibly a hybrid between M. spicata and M. aquatica.
It was recorded by Ray (1627 - 1705) in 1696. John Ray is most well-known for his work Methodus Plantarum Nova in 1682 which was influentual in the world of botany. In 1721, it was included in the London Pharmacopceia under a listing for M. piperitis sapore.
Peppermint has been grown commerically in England since 1750, primarily at Mitcham in Surrey. Similar statements to what we found when researching the history of lavender, extole essential peppermint oil produced from plants grown in this area as far superior to that from peppermint grown elsewhere. That said, growing peppermint can easily be achieved in just about every climate and geographical location.

Historical Medicinal Uses of Peppermint Oil.

Oil of peppermint contains menthol which is an antiseptic and anesthetic. Chewing a few peppermint leaves is thought to relieve a toothache. Indigestion, cold and flu sufferers can find some relief by drinking peppermint tea. However, peppermint tea can cause insomnia and it is therefore best avoided at night.
Like many of the herbs we discuss, peppermint oil is useful in combating flatulence and mild indigestion. Many over-the-counter stomach aids contain peppermint to both enhance the taste as well as the effectiveness of the medicine.

Golf is coming! A few facts..

Golf is thought of highly here at APG. Mike, one of our quality guys, is already pushing for a game.  Reed, who runs our back end, has tee times set.  Snow just left yesterday, only 36 degrees today, but everybody seems ready.
There are 25 million golfers here in the USA.  Over 500 million rounds of golf will be played.  There are over 450,000 outings and events.  With over 118 Professional golf tournaments between Men, Ladies and Seniors-which gives us 18,000,000-20,000,000 spectators.

And what are all these people doing?????  Sitting, standing, walking, laying, squatting, stretching, and facing into the sun.

Since we sell a lot of SPF 30 Sunscreen lotion, SPF 30 face stick and hands fee sunscreen balms and SPF 15 and 30 lip balms amongst other things...that is another reason why we like golf.  Keep your elbow straight, read the greens from three angles, shift your weight as you swing and liberally apply sun screen.  Our best advice.

The Pied Piper

The best chapped hand solution..and you can't buy it!

Our Lab (thanks Joan) turns out a continuous flow of remarkable products.  Solutions to problems, innovative product ideas and nimble adaptations of existing products.  And as we were building a product line for a specific industry, they made up some BALM that is the Bomb!

The formula of this opaque balm is now a trade secret and we are still sitting on it.  Our internal testing and sampling turned up the following.  Dishpan hands? cured. (not sure I can use that word in the intricate world of the FDA that governs us-I will use the phrase "no problem".) Rough weather hands-no problem. Aging skin- smoothed and tightened up. And on and on.  A version of the balm is being used by our local humane society to help with the winter wear on the pets they care for.  It is truly a mira....-wait-can't say that either.  Awesome!!

The Pied Piper

Talking Tubas and cork grease

Tubas are on my mind today for three reasons.

 Reason number one is the fact that we make cork grease and package it for clients and the fact is, it is damn fine cork grease!

 The second reason is my son plays the Tuba and has his solo and ensemble performances this weekend.  It should be a fine time for all the musicians in the area.  If you have not done so, go to one of these judged performances.  You will be amazed at the sheer number of nice and even great musicians.

The third reason is that I caught an article not long ago that reported the Tuba is on the must steal list for thieves.  In California it seems they steel them and probably sell for scrap not knowing what the real value is!

I do love the marching Tubas of the University of Wisconsin.  Go to a Badger football game and watch them as they march the stands in the fifth quarter!

In big breath,
The Pied Piper.

I was a cry baby

Just when you think things are golden, Google let me down!  I could not get to our blog and I got frustrated.  In fact I went into a whirlwind of negative emotion about the whole issue.  It started as irritated, moved to frustrated and ended at sad resignation. Day after day, search after search and fix after fix.

Dave, otherwise know as Mr.data chips, finally dropped in and determined it was an issue with Explorer.  So now I have two large boxing partners, Google and Microsoft.  When we jumped onto Mozilla Firefox, elation set in.  I can see my dashboard and do some blogging!  Trumpets blew and here I am.

What is happening in our world of personal care?  New products like fragrance sticks, anti-bacterial soap and bubble bath.  More soon!

The Pied Piper