The candle arrived ready to use. The bees do not come attached to the candle; the wings are detached from the plastic bodies. Since the candle wax unwinds from the top, the best placement of the bees is not at the top. I scattered them, but did place a few at the top of the coil and on the strand going into the cup because it was cute. It would be cool if the bees were made more true to life, but they are cute from a distance and serve their purpose. As stated in the burning instructions, the candle does extinguish itself when the portion of candle exposed above the clamping cup burns down. The instructions also state that the candle should be placed so it extends no more than 2 inches above the cup. Each inch of candle is supposed to burn approx. 25 minutes. Be mindful that the instructions state the candle's burn rate is "approximate". Additionally, the burning instructions state to wait 10-15 minutes to allow the clamping arms and wax to cool down before relighting the candle. I placed the candle in an area that would not be impacted by the heat coming from the vents. There are no open windows, open doors, or fans being used. Using a measuring tape, I measured 2 inches and lit the candle at 2:34, it extinguished at 3:19. So 2 inches burned for 45 minutes. At 3:31, the cup and clamping arms had already cooled to the touch, but after opening the arms, the candle strand was stuck to the interior of the cup. I failed to check it at the 15 minute mark. Following the instructions, I found setting the candle up for the next burn a little awkward. I admit there was a slight struggle, but I won the mini-battle. The bees were re-arranged, this time I did not go with my preferred arrangement. Again, I measured 2 inches with a measuring tape. It took two attempts to get the candle to light. This time the two inches burned for 50 min. The candle is not scented, so when this one needs to be replaced, I will purchase a scented one. For me this candle is a keeper and will be more for aesthetic purposes. I will light it only occassionally. I love to use candles and normally let them burn for more than an hour at a time. Clearly, this candle is not made for that purpose, but so far it has burned for the "approximate" 25 minutes per 2 inches. If the bees were more true to life, I would give it 4.5 stars. If the burn time was longer, I would give it 5 stars and recommend it.