Propolis

Propolis

 

What is propolis?

Propolis is a waste product of bees and is a combination of active substances of plant and bee origin.
Propolis contains about 30% beeswax, 40-60% resins and balsams, 5-10% essential oils, about 20% solids, 5-15% tannins, pollen and others.

How much can you collect propolis from the family of bees?

Regardless of a breed the bee family can give 50-100 g of propolis.

What is the origin of bee propolis?

The origin of propolis is independent of the bee. By origin propolis can be of two kinds: the first bees collect from buds (birch, poplar, conifers, etc.) and use it to narrow the notch, seal cracks and lap in the hive, the second – secreted by bees balsame substance as a result of digesting of flower pollen is used in cells.
At what time and how to collect propolis?

During the inspections propolis is scraped with a chisel from frames and walls of the hive. To increase the collection of propolis they put wooden or plastic rails (width 12 mm (0.5”), length 440 mm (17”), the distance between 2-3 mm (0.07”). Stick them with glue on canvas with size to match the size of the hive, and place on top of the framework, and remove the canvas. The gaps between the planks bees fill with propolis, then you just replace them. Roll them up and put for a few hours in the refrigerator. Then remove and process.

What is the easiest way to increase the amount of propolis in the hive?

You can use the nylon mesh to collect propolis. The mesh, instead of lap, is placed with sizes 1,5 × 1,5 mm (0.05”). In the summer, when the bees fill cells, it is immediately replaced. Roll 3-4 meshes and place for 1.5-2 hours in the freezer of refrigerator. Propolis becomes fragile and it is easy to remove it from the mesh.
What about valuable properties of propolis during the storage?

Propolis is storage rolled into lumps, wrapped in plastic or parchment and placed in a sealed brown glass jars or in plywood boxes. In such a container at a temperature of 25°C (77 F) propolis can be kept for one year. The stored properly propolis retains its properties over 1-5 years.

How to separate wax from propolis?

Wax and propolis have different specific gravities. To separate them from each other you make crushed powder from the mixture and pour a lot of cold water. Wax floats and propolis drowns. Another way: a mixture is poured with alcohol (70-96°) and repeatedly shaken (every 1-2 hours). Propolis is dissolved, and the wax and other impurities settle to the bottom. There are also efficient industrial technologies.

Cleaning the lap of propolis is done manually or by mechanization?

Cleaning the lap of propolis is made in a centrifuge. To preserve the quality they produce briquettes weighing 25-100 g with a hydraulic press.

Assembling the hive for the winter we notice that the lap is soaked with paint from fence. How to explain this?

With a lack of propolis in the time of greatest need bees sometimes use sticky resinous substances, including paint.