Question re Propolis

[Swarm]

I posted this in another thread...

 

[bobba]

I have collected proposal for 2 years and have got about 10-20g so far! I give away what I collect to people that ask for it, as I have never had enough to sell anyway. I have seen people selling piles of the stuff on ebay and wondered how they ever got so much. So I have learn alot from this thread.

The only place my bees seem to put it is on top of the frames where they meet the edge, or occasionally a little along the seal between 2 boxes.

I paint the inside of my boxes with polyester resin. The inside of my boxes generally stay clean. I wonder if the bees are happy with the polyester finish so dont feel the need to add more propolis, or if they hate it so much they wont touch it. Maybe my bees just dont make much, or perhaps there is not much for them to collect in my location.

Next time I make up some boxes I will try leaving one uncoated on the inside and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Wilco]

@drex or @pargyle what sort of alcohol do you use for this-- isopropyl?

 

[Loxley]

@drex or @pargyle what sort of alcohol do you use for this-- isopropyl?

I have done it with a small amount of methylated spirit after a suggestion from @Erichalfbee in a different thread who also credited the idea to @pargyle.

I imagine isopropyl alcohol would work just aswell though.

 

[Erichalfbee]

@drex or @pargyle what sort of alcohol do you use for this-- isopropyl?

I’m neither but Phillip suggested meths to me which works but I use isopropyl now.

 

[pargyle]

@drex or @pargyle what sort of alcohol do you use for this-- isopropyl?

I have done it with a small amount of methylated spirit after a suggestion from @Erichalfbee in a different thread who also credited the idea to @pargyle.

I imagine isopropyl alcohol would work just aswell though.

I’m neither but Phillip suggested meths to me which works but I use isopropyl now.

I just use plain old methylated spirits (cheapskate that I am) - chuck the propolis scrapings into a jar, fill it up three quarters full with meths. Turn or shake the jar every day for a week or so and then sieve the contents ... perfect propolis varnish. Isopropyl Alcohol is pure ... Meths has methanol, ethyl alcohol and a purple dye added. Meths is very volatile and so the propolis varnish dries very quickly. I would imagine that Isopropyl alcohol would do much the same job.

Pays yer money and takes yer choice ...

 

[rolande]

Not to forget the tar (bitumen in this case) collectors...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wow....never seen that

 

[BaconWizard]

Wow…
So I guess they will get whatever “resin” is available then…

Just curious, do you happen to know whereabouts they are finding the bitumen?

 

[rolande]

Wow…
So I guess they will get whatever “resin” is available then…

Just curious, do you happen to know whereabouts they are finding the bitumen?

Yes, in this case it was collected off an old gantry runner which we'd taken apart and stacked next to the workshop. I spent a few lunch breaks sat watching the bees on it. Two mating nucs out of 30 on site showed obvious signs of having collected it. In past years we've had them collect from beach house roofs and have heard, but not seen, of bees collecting from roads.

There's quite a bit on the net about this including a study from the middle East. I did watch a YouTube video but really can't remember which one at present where the speaker commented that tar's share certain chemical components with propolis. Whoever it was he's definitely mainstream.

 

[BaconWizard]

Very cool, thanks, I’ll search for it. Not that I am keen to have tar-collecting bees especially but it’s interesting behaviour.

 

[Wilco]

As an update I checked one of my DIY supers the other day and they didn't appear to be propolising the rough wood, not for lack of propolis. I tend to find it's gaps they go for.