Medicinal propolis

[Blue Spinnaker]

Propolis is for sale in a local health food shop. Seeing as my bees seem to love propolis production, can I harvest and use it raw somehow or do I have to do complicated things with it to get all the health benefits?

Thanks
BS

 

[charlievictorbravo]

If you speak very nicely to Hedgerow Pete, he might tell you what he does to the stuff before he sells it on because I recall that, on a thread a few months ago, he reckoned he earned more money from Propolis than he earned from Honey!

CVB

 

[Pips]

I'd like to know too please, Hedgerow Pete!

 

[meatsy]

Me also

 

[BrianO]

Likewise !!

Was just pondering its use as my fingers were sticking together on inspection Sunday

 

[Blue Spinnaker]

Thank you.......are you out there HP?

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I reckon he's gone off to the South of France for the summer on the proceeds from his bees' propolis.

Try this link, post number 15:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26465&page=2

CVB

 

[Blue Spinnaker]

Thank you from what I've read it seems external use is the safe option without having to remove impurities to make it safe for consumption.

 

[Ginger19]

I inspected a hive today that was manked up with Propolis. The frame nearest the entrance had a mass of it heaped on the bottom of the undrawn foundation. This has all happened in a week!

 

[Hachi]

Hmmmm mine is similar looking to amber. I scrapped it off the top of the frames into little phials

 

[charlievictorbravo]

More Information from The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN

If you've got a couple of hours, you might care to read through this document:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e14.htm

As it's an international document, it is not specific to UK food and pharmaceuticals regulations but it seems to give good general background information.

CVB