Propolis and other 'products'

[bjosephd]

I think one of my colonies MUST have a significant proportion of Caucasian genes, as from reading up it seems Caucasians are the only bees who LOVE gluing the universe together with propolis! (also very slow seasonal buildup)

This hive is like the inside if an alien spaceship!

So I was just looking into the benefits and uses of propolis and considering getting a propolis trap since they produce it in lorry loads... I'm surprised they have time to do ANYTHING else!

Anyway... what do you guys do with your propolis? Anybody processed it? Taken it? Chewed it? Sold it? In what form?

Dave Asprey, on a semi-side note has written a good blog post about bee products. He tends to be someone who is less full of hippy bullsh!t than most.

https://blog.bulletproof.com/apitherapy_bee_products/

 

[oliver90owner]

There is a very recent thread on propolis collection. Reading that might enlighten you.

 

[bjosephd]

Oh cool... link pleasy please...?

 

[psafloyd]

There is a very recent thread on propolis collection. Reading that might enlighten you.

Yes, I must have missed that, too.

 

[Eyeman]

So I was just looking into the benefits and uses of propolis and considering getting a propolis trap since they produce it in lorry loads... I'm surprised they have time to do ANYTHING else!

Marla Spivak has published some intersting research on the benfits of propolis to the colony.

http://naturalingredient.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/benefits-of-propolis.pdf

 

[Jacq]

Really interesting article, Eyeman. Thanks

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Oh cool... link pleasy please...?

The forum search facility (it's the box near the top of the page on the left) throws up loads of information about propolis with many links to this forums discussions about it.

 

[bjosephd]

The forum search facility (it's the box near the top of the page on the left) throws up loads of information about propolis with many links to this forums discussions about it.

I'm obviously aware of this... but as you say, it throws up loads, so I was just curious as to the specific thread that Oliver90 was referring to. Indeed the entire internet throws up results... like the link I posted at the beginning. But this is a forum, so it's nice to chat about things.

 

[oliver90owner]

You can hunt it down just as well as me doing it for you. I don't retain thread URLs in my head.

 

[bjosephd]

Haha. Righto all. Thanks for your help.

 

[Beefriendly]

Haha. Righto all. Thanks for your help.

https://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=22647
Might be of some use.

The little I can help you with is that propolis is source dependent. It varies according to the plants/trees that produce it and so different areas have different propolis with different colours and properties.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

There are three main groupings of uses for propolis that I can think of:

1. As a wood preserver and varnish. If you collect propolis from scrapings and put it in a jar with some metholated spirits and shake the jar (with the lid on!) every time you walk past, you'll have a varnish similar to that which Stradivarius used on his violins. If you don't make violins, you can brush it on the internals of any new wooden hive parts (supers, crown boards, etc.) to make it smell right to the bees.
2. Mixed into a tincture with potable alcohol, it can be used as a sort of cure all tonic when mixed with water. If you search the internet, you'll find propolis tincture selling for about £7 for a small 10ml dropper bottle. This is the go-to remedy in rural communities in eastern Europe and there is some evidence that it works for some conditions.
3. You can make propolis into a water-based mixture, which is not as strong as the alcohol based tincture but can be given to children internally, and can be used externally (topically) for lesions, blisters etc.) if mixed with petroleum jelly. The big problem with using externally is that it stains dark brown whatever it touches.

There a forum member who produced lots of forum videos (sadly, he does not post any more - chased away by trolls) who asserted that he made more money from Propolis tincture that he did from honey, it was less messy and a lot less work. Food for thought if you have a large eastern European community near you.

CVB

 

[Beefriendly]

I can add its also been used as treatment for genital herpes, mouth ulcers various others viral complaints. Is also known as Russian penicillin due to it being widely used there for it's antibiotic content.

 

[bjosephd]

Thanks peeps! I'll have a read of that previous thread And maybe order a propolis 'trap' to see what my sticky bees do with it. Maybe I can order an 'officially' caucasian queen next year. Not many breeders/sellers though. It's all carnies and buckies mostly. Understandably.