Another witch burning

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Although horse chestnut was also mentioned as a source I did wonder what others bee use regularly - anyone ?

I don't know - I've never asked them!

 

[Murox]

 

[Bazzer]

It seems possible to me that bees could be using propolis to protect the wood of their home against decay in the same way we paint ours. Crevices are likely to harbour funghi so will be treated first. In addition since it is hydrophobic propolis prevent condensation soaking into the wood.
It is a significant drain on resources to collect propolis so I would think bees will naturally only deposit it where they ancipate issues. In my polynucs I get propolis deposited in gaps between frames/boxes but hardly ever on the walls which of course are hydrophobic.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It is a significant drain on resources to collect propolis

According to the research, Marla Spivak says no. There was no difference in honey yield between colonies that had a roughened brood lined with propolis and ones that inhabited a standard brood.

 

[Finman]

Watch Spivlaks video you will see that bees are able to cement the propolis into the uneven rough walls of a tree but cannot do that on the smooth walls of tthe hives we now use.

I have had bees 60 years. I do not need propolis videos. I have used now over 30 years polyhives.

 

[Wilco]

According to the research, Marla Spivak says no. There was no difference in honey yield between colonies that had a roughened brood lined with propolis and ones that inhabited a standard brood.

Surely that swings both ways though... No extra yield with extra propolis = unless harvesting propolis, is there a benefit to getting sticky fingers every time you inspect?

 

[Boston Bees]

I have had bees 60 years.

Interesting. I don't think you have mentioned this before actually.

 

[pargyle]

I watched The SBA’s webinar last night
He’s a photo of what she has tried in some of her hives.
@pargyle
I know you and I amongst others paint their hives inside but I wondered whether you might join me in doing this to a box or two so that the bees might make their own propolis envelope.
View attachment 30668

Are those grooves that have been cut into the side walls to encourage the bees to propolise them ?

 

[Finman]

I have read much about diseases of the bees writen by different universities and countries.
It is nowhere mentioned that propolis heals or prevent any diseases.

How is that possible? It is, when Dr Spivac is only person, who is right.

It is like garlic. It heals tens on diseases, and the diseases are severe. When I read about ten authors' lists about garlic, no one had same diseases on the list. Clearly they have taken from their own head the the disease list. Nothing behind those facts.

Yeah.... it is interesting to learn something from everyone, if you do not mind about quality of information.

It is not long time ago when Finnish beekeepers were healing corona with propolis.

Last innovation is, that the forests have their own Internet. Trees discuss with each others, and mycelia of trees heal many kind of bee diseases, and even kills varroa.

I have seen during 60 years, how much local bees had diseased in their brood nests even if the boxes had plenty of propolis. I have seen too , how breeding and selecting have made gradually healthier bees.

 

[rolande]

Interesting. I don't think you have mentioned this before actually.

Really, my memory must be going. I thought he'd mentioned it over a decade ago.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Are those grooves that have been cut into the side walls to encourage the bees to propolise them ?

Yes.they look pretty deep too.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Surely that swings both ways though... No extra yield with extra propolis = unless harvesting propolis, is there a benefit to getting sticky fingers every time you inspect?

But would you get sticky fingers?
As for yield..the bees would only have to do it one season, after that it would just be maintenance?

 

[Wilco]

But would you get sticky fingers?
As for yield..the bees would only have to do it one season, after that it would just be maintenance?

My bees that propolise more don't just do it one year. It's fairly consistent.

I certainly get sticky gloves with the more propolised hives but me being cack handed isn't beyond the realms of possibility!

 

[Erichalfbee]

My bees that propolise more don't just do it one year. It's fairly consistent.

No what I meant to say is that I don't give my bees new clean boxes every year. I just scrape away the stuff that gets in my way. It would interesting to see if having made their propolis envelope the bees would just maintain it instead of thickening it so much that you can't get the frames out

 

[Wilco]

No what I meant to say is that I don't give my bees new clean boxes every year. I just scrape away the stuff that gets in my way. It would interesting to see if having made their propolis envelope the bees would just maintain it instead of thickening it so much that you can't get the frames out

I was of the understanding that bees propolise small gaps that they can't access to basically avoid dead space they can't clean easily (like curved edges in a hospital floor), as well as use to control air flow at certain times of year. I suspect with making those slits to propolise, it's a bit of a setup: they will propolise to close the dead space, doing the behaviour because of the unnecessary management change, but they will still want to preserve the bee space around combs as per usual so you'll still be able to get the frames out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It is like garlic. It heals tens on diseases, and the diseases are severe. When I read about ten authors' lists about garlic, no one had same diseases on the list

I tried taking garlic once to treat my haemorrhoids
For all the good it did I might as well have stuffed it up my...............................................
We had a hard frost with us last night - had to break the ice in the chicken drinkers.

 

[Finman]

curved edges in a hospital floor), as well as use to control air flow at certain times of year. I

I had Caucasian bees. They have a habit to stuck the main entrance with a bar, where they had then under 10 mm holes.

Some other bee strains gathered a quite big block propolis above entrance, but they did not have such construction skills like Caucasians.

Propolis did not hinder bee diseases like EFB.

 

[Finman]

A pic from google. Carniolan bees in this case.

 

[Finman]

I was of the understanding that bees propolise small gaps .

You see with your eyes, what they do with propolis. It is not understanding thing. Propolis is a miracle perhaps, but not that, what they do with that stuff.

Once I found a big propolis ball on the hive floor. Inside the ball I found a mummy mouse.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Inside the ball I found a mummy mouse

I found a daddy mouse once