Propolis, seasonal or genetic?

[Nakedapiarist]

Hive 1 has taken to propolising the excluder. As they've recently been requeened with a daughter of their original queen I'm wondering if this a genetic tendency or whether it's a seasonal thing and there's just more availability of the raw materials at certain times of year.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Hive 1 has taken to propolising the excluder. As they've recently been requeened with a daughter of their original queen I'm wondering if this a genetic tendency or whether it's a seasonal thing and there's just more availability of the raw materials at certain times of year.

From my personal experience I would say both!

Definitely some strains (genes) of bee are more generous with the amount of propolis they use inside the hive than others.
Mid to late Summer is the time when you would expect them to start closing up gaps to protect their crop.

 

[Finman]

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Caucasian bee race is eager to use propolis. I wonder what it could do to mesh floor. In solid floors it tend to reduced entrance with propolis.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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Caucasian bee race is eager to use propolis. I wonder what it could do to mesh floor. In solid floors it tend to reduced entrance with propolis.

seen bees close down a full hive width entrance on a solid floor nuc to sigle beespace, but have never had an issue with any of my colonies messing around with the mesh floor (and some of mine do love their propolis.
We did see and example with Chris B a few years ago where the bees had completely propolised closed an open mesh floor! I believe Pete D has a photo somewhere

 

[Finman]

Jenkins, have you had Caucasian bees?

 

[einsteinagogo]

my bees heavily propolise everything...I think it's the strain I have of mongrels, seems to be getting worse...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Jenkins, have you had Caucasian bees?

Only when the Balsam is in bloom.
Finny - it wasn't a comment on your post, just a follow up on what bees can do with propolis

 

[B+.]

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I wonder what it could do to mesh floor. In solid floors it tend to reduced entrance with propolis.

This was a swarm that I hived and forgot about a couple of years ago. Woodpeckers had a go at it and they subsequently propolised the hole. This wasn't a Caucasian though.