Propolis

Ando · Jul 8, 2009

Hi

How do you collect Propolis?

I have been asked if I can supply some to a friend of my sisters and being a newbeek haven;t done this yet or been able to find any threads about it when using the search on here, can someone shed some light on how to collect it and what to do with it?

Cheers

Mark.

BKF Admin · Jul 8, 2009

You can use a plastic frame or an old towel.

Just put it above the brood box and let the bee's get on with it.

Put it in the freezer and then it becomes like brittle toffee.

From the Thornes website:

Propolis is easily gathered by applying one of our simple screens. Place the fibre glass mesh under the crownboard of your hive and leave for the bees to propolise. Once full, remove the mesh and deep freeze until brittle, approx. twelve hours. Screw up the mesh in your hands and all the propolis will drop off.

Ando · Jul 8, 2009

Thanks Admin

Do you know what to do with it once collected??

Cheers

Mark.

Poly Hive · Jul 8, 2009

Give it to your contact as they want it and let them figure it out. Tincture is made by dissolving in spirit. They can google for it all.

PH

Geoff · Jul 8, 2009

I have been given a colony of bees that would be ideal for this. i am calling them the gummy bees. They put propolis everywhere. I did the first proper examination, so called, I was after finding and marking the queen. I found it so hard to move the frames, it was like they were embedded in treacle. Then the smoker went out, bees were getting stuck in the goo, I got stuck to the hive, the bees were in bad temper, i was in an even more bad temper. Everything i touched I got stuck to. I ended up so exhausted I had to close up after checking for queen cells (there weren't any). I wish they would spend as much effort collecting honey as they do bunging up everywhere with propolis.
The other bees are a complete contrast. they produce very little propolis but put wax everywhere. Stand still long enough and I swear they would brace comb you to the hive. But wax is easy to scrape off and I just collect the nice clean wax so i can play at melting it down when i have time.
But I can quickly go through those bees in a flash. Frames can be lifted calmly but speedily and the bees closed up with minimum of fuss. I need to find and mark that queen. I need to replace her with a less gummy queen.

hedgerow pete · Jul 8, 2009

what you need to do to is to attack your gummy hive with a saw and trim the ends off the frames and then insert steel or plastic runners so they have the smallest area posible to stick things to, if i had i hive like yours and i do want one because i sell propolis for £5 for a table spoon worth i would make a new brood chamber that is 10mm over all bigger on the inside and then line it with a material of some sort so i could just remove a side linning pannel when i wanted to

BKF Admin · Jul 8, 2009

What is the history of your bee strain Geoff ?
I think Caucasian's have a habit for excess propalising.

teignbee · Jul 8, 2009

How long,on average,would it take a hive to cover a towel in propolis?

Geoff · Jul 8, 2009

hedgerow pete said:
if i had i hive like yours and i do want one because i sell propolis for £5 for a table spoon worth i would make a new brood chamber that is 10mm over all bigger on the inside and then line it with a material of some sort so i could just remove a side linning pannel when i wanted to

Well if they ever produce any queen cells i know where the queens will be going. Afterwards my wife found my gloves in the freezer (in a bag of course) and she chucked them out. I had only used them once! I now have one pair of gloves for the other bees and one pair for the gummy bees.
Is it me having a disgusting mind? But if you get the propolis on your hands no matter how hard you scrub it still leaves a brown stain. I think it looks like you have run out of toilet paper. :ack2:

I don't know the history of these bees. First of all I thought they were ninja bees. I have seen some feisty ones but when i first opened the crown board 5 shot out like lightening, so fast I did not see them and they left 5 stings in the black gloves I was wearing. Good job they were the heavy duty Tesco ones that White Park recommended. They are also burrowing bees ie. they go to your cuffs and try to burrow under the sleeve to get up your arm. It is a bit disconcerting when you find 12 doing it. I have taken them out of the garden and put them on a farm with 20 acres of beans to play with. They wont be coming back. My hammock is within 12 feet of the hives. I don't mind bees flying over but not joining me on the hammock

Arob · Aug 19, 2009

Smojoe sells Canadian bee propolis on his blog !

Hey folks. I was helping my Dad do the harvest at Campbell's Honey in southern Ontario this summer and I starting collecting big gobs of sticky bee propolis on my hivetool.

We hit upon some very sticky stuff which I kept and then added to the mass after every five or six hives. And then while extracting I gleaned more from the tops of the super boxes. This stuff was harder and dried up - probably a few years old.

Anyway, now I'm proud to say the that I have pure bee propolis for sale and if you want some just write me an email and I'll give members of this forum 1/2 price discount.

DulwichGnome · Aug 19, 2009

Found on a web site selling Propolis products

"Not suitable for people with an allergy to tree resin" :ack2:

jezd · Aug 19, 2009

whos is the guy with the breakfast bowl?

shonabee · Aug 20, 2009

Daft question: but why are you collecting it - i.e. what can it be used for?

oliver90owner · Aug 20, 2009

Google it. To many hits to put them all on here.

Regards, RAB

Mosquito · Aug 27, 2009

After using my solar wax extractor.
I am left with a load of dark goo.
It that Propolis?

Somerford · Aug 28, 2009

that chap with the breakfast bowl looks like he's been given bran flakes again. euck. !

Kathy Margate · Aug 30, 2009

hedgerow pete said:
what you need to do to is to attack your gummy hive with a saw and trim the ends off the frames and then insert steel or plastic runners so they have the smallest area posible to stick things to, if i had i hive like yours and i do want one because i sell propolis for £5 for a table spoon worth i would make a new brood chamber that is 10mm over all bigger on the inside and then line it with a material of some sort so i could just remove a side linning pannel when i wanted to

Hi Hedgerow Pete
Who do you sell the propolis to? I am thinking of harvesting it next year. I have a hive that produces "golden Toffee"

Black Comb · Aug 31, 2009

One of mine (a carni) is like this and an experienced beek told me it was because there are so many trees in the locality.

It's difficult with a double b/b as they glue the bottom frames to the top so have to be very careful when lifting off the top box.

hedgerow pete · Aug 31, 2009

i sell my propolis to a charpenter for finishing wax works but try selling it to a health food store or a violin maker repairer, there are many other uses if you google it and try one of those instead
my price is £1 for 25gm which is a very large table spoon
people also use it as a herbal remedy

ldwgs · Aug 15, 2021

admin said:
You can use a plastic frame or an old towel.

Just put it above the brood box and let the bee's get on with it.

Put it in the freezer and then it becomes like brittle toffee.

From the Thornes website:

Propolis is easily gathered by applying one of our simple screens. Place the fibre glass mesh under the crownboard of your hive and leave for the bees to propolise. Once full, remove the mesh and deep freeze until brittle, approx. twelve hours. Screw up the mesh in your hands and all the propolis will drop off.

how long does it take to freeze? have the mesh in the freezer for couple of days, thermometer checked and propolis still sticky

Propolis

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