Why is the Exsultet so keen on bees?

The [Exsultet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exsultet) or Exultet is a beautiful Latin hymn for the Easter vigil. There are a few different versions. Part of the ceremony involves lighting the Paschal candle, and the text thanks the bees who produced the wax: > *Alitur enim liquantibus ceris, quas in substantiam pretiosiae huius lampadis apis mater eduxit.* > > For [the candle] is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious.1 The candle is also called "the work of bees and of your servants' hands" in another part of the text. Of course it is nice to recognize the contribution of the bees. But this feels like a bit of a digression in a hymn which is otherwise all about God. Is there some reason why bees are specifically mentioned? 1. English rendering from the International Commission for English in the Liturgy, 2010.