Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees. So much more than a by-product, the wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive workers collect and use it to form cells for honey storage and larval and pupal protection within the beehive. Chemically, beeswax consists mainly of esters of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols. It has long been used in making candles but also treating cloth with beeswax makes for sustainable food storage.