From the wiki:
Bee Skep will reduce the time it takes for crops to fully mature; with the exception of Barley and Wheat, which are not affected by bee skeps.
"Each time a crop grows to the next stage, it checks if there's a beehive within range. If it finds beehive, the time before the next stage change is reduced, and the beehive receives a usage tick. Beehives can store up to 50 uses (and noting how jorb worded it, it's likely they start will a full 50 when first created), and will regenerate 6 uses per hour. Crops using a beehive will cause honey and wax production (exact mechanics unknown), but jorb has stated there is a low level of base production of honey/wax by a hive even if it has no crops nearby." -Sevenless
Quality of wax and honey produced seems to be affected by the quality of crops covered by the bee hive (All crops, except barley and wheat, will affect a beehive this way)
I know that barley and wheat aren't sped up by a beehive and that they don't affect the quality of honey and wax, but do they cause honey and wax production at all? Is it even worth placing them within the range of a beehive?