Exchange Your Beeswax for Fresh Foundation
Send your clean beeswax to Donegal Bees and exchange it for freshly made beeswax foundation. It is a simple way to keep valuable wax working for Irish beekeepers.
Arrange a Wax Exchange1. Gather your wax
Collect your clean cappings wax, brace comb, or suitable rendered beeswax. Try to keep it free from debris, mould, and excess honey.
2. Send or drop it in
You can post your wax, drop it to us in Glencolmcille, or contact us to discuss collection options.
3. Receive foundation
Your wax is exchanged for foundation sheets. You choose the size and whether you need wired or unwired foundation.
Why exchange wax with Donegal Bees?
Every flake of beeswax takes a huge amount of work from the bees, so we believe it should be handled with care, traceability, and respect.
Irish wax exchange system
Your wax stays within a more local and transparent system, supporting beekeepers across Ireland.
Processed in Donegal
Wax exchanged with us is cleaned, processed, and turned into fresh foundation here by Donegal Bees.
No cash needed
Exchange beeswax directly for foundation sheets, making good use of wax you already have.
Wax Exchange Calculator
Use this calculator as a guide to estimate how many foundation sheets you may receive.
This calculator is a guide only. Final exchange amounts may vary depending on wax quality, processing, and the foundation size requested.
How this is calculated: Your wax weight is converted into pounds, then divided by 1.3, as the exchange rates are based on sheets per 1.3lb of beeswax. The calculator then multiplies this by the sheet rate for your chosen foundation size.
Example: 10kg of wax is approximately 22lb. National Brood Wired is 4 sheets per 1.3lb, so 22 ÷ 1.3 × 4 gives an estimate of approximately 67 sheets.
Other Ways to Send Wax to Donegal Bees
Foundation exchange is our most popular option, but it is not the only way to send wax to Donegal Bees. If you have clean beeswax and do not need foundation sheets, we can discuss credit against equipment or outright purchase.
Exchange for Foundation
Swap your clean beeswax for fresh foundation sheets. This is ideal if you want to keep your wax working within your beekeeping setup.
Credit Against Equipment
Beeswax credit may be used against equipment at €2.50 per 1.3lb of suitable clean beeswax.
Outright Wax Purchase
If you have excess beeswax and do not need foundation or equipment credit, we may purchase suitable clean beeswax at €2.00 per 1.3lb.
All wax is subject to suitability checks. Please contact us before sending large quantities, especially if you are unsure about the wax quality.
How to Prepare Your Wax
To help us process your wax quickly and correctly, please make sure it is packed safely and clearly labelled before sending or dropping it in.
Clean wax only
Please send clean beeswax only. Remove as much honey, debris, frames, wire, plastic, and other material as possible before packing.
Box it securely
Wax must be packed in a sturdy box or sealed container. Please do not send loose wax in bags alone, as it can split or get damaged in transit.
Label it clearly
Please attach your name, phone number, email address, and return address clearly to the box or container. This is very important so we can match your wax to your exchange request.
Full Wax Exchange Rates
Prefer to check the rates yourself? Here is the current wax exchange guide.
| Foundation Size | Up to 50lb Wired | Up to 50lb Unwired | Over 50lb Wired | Over 50lb Unwired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Brood | 4 | 5 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| National Super | 6.5 | 8.5 | 7 | 9 |
| National 14x12 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Commercial Brood | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Commercial Super | 5 | 6 | 5.5 | 6.5 |
| Rose | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 6 |
| Langstroth Brood | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Langstroth Super | 5 | 6 | 5.5 | 6.5 |
Rates are shown as foundation sheets per 1.3lb of beeswax.
Free Wax Collection
Have a larger quantity of wax? We may be able to arrange free collection for wax over 10kg. Fill in the form below and we will get back to you.
Arrange a Wax Exchange
Send us your details and we will contact you to confirm the best way to get your wax to us.