What is propolis and what is it made of?  And why do bees make so darn much of this sticky substance?  In short:  It's bee glue.

Propolis is a mixture of resins from trees and other plants which bees collect, mix with wax and then use to "caulk" the hive itself as well as many items in the hive.

Why do bees cover everything in propolis? Just like you would use window caulking to fill air pockets in your window sill, so bees do with propolis.  Further, the bees use it to secure the moving parts of the hive together to keep out the weather and bugs.

The antibacterial nature of propolis helps the bees to keep the hive hygenic.  Thus, rather than something sitting there rotting, the bees will coat the surface or the whole item with propolis.

For example, bees use propolis to "mummify" intruders that are too big to move.  This mummification process essentially covers the critter in propolis, and the dead creature dries out.  This protects the colony from diseases and putrification of this rotting creature.

What do I do with propolis?  While there are many uses for propolis by bees, as a beekeeper, you may think of propolis as just a nuisance.  It gets on your gloves, your hive tools, your wood.  But there are many uses for propolis, most of which involve natural remedies for mouth sores, cuts and scrapes, and many others.  There's a market out there, and many ways to harvest this fine bee-made product.

Personally, I love the smell of propolis.  When I was a kid beekeeper (yes, a long time ago), I used propolis to repair my archery arrow fletchings (that's the feathers), since Elmer's glue just didn't do it well enough, and this was before "super glue".  The only problem I had was that propolis, when cold, gets very brittle very fast.

Other people I know will chew propolis, like gum, to provide some relief from mouth sores. Propolis has a lot of antimicrobial properties. Be sure to brush your teeth later though, as this will stick to your teeth!  Or, you can make a tincture or lip balm and so on.  Some recipies at this link or this one.  In short, you have to extract the propolis by dissolving it in alcohol (e.g. Everclear), straining out the sludge, and then using the result in tinctures, balms and salves. 

Now you know a lot about propolis!  There is always more to learn around the hive.

See you there soon!
tim

Today I made a candy board for one of my hives.

You can do this too, by going to this link and following these simple directions.  You can download these as well.

As you can see from the photo on the left, I used some old plywood to make mine.  I did wash it a few days ago, since it had some winter crud-sludge on the board, which I didn't want in my hive.

When I made my candy, I added a capful of "Honey B Healthly".

I use this product (there are others out there like it) to add a boost to my bees during the winter months.

The directions on our site also recommend adding a pollen patty, which I did on the candy board shown above.

Again, during the few warm days you will get from time-to-time this winter, have these ready to go so you can pop these onto the hives on those days.

Until next time, see you around the hive.

What are you going to do with all that wax?

This week we heard from Fred and Caroline about how to process wax and make it into various products.

Think about:
Candles (all sorts)
Wax Bars
Lip Balm
Hand Lotion
Creative Artwork
and more....

True Artistry takes time.  Caroline showed us the process to collect and process the bees wax.  First you have to sort the wax:  white cappings versus older, darker wax. Gently clean it with water.  Melt the wax in a solar wax melter or double boiler (Always monitor the wax when around fire, as wax is flammable). Be certain to keep straining the wax to keep the junk from getting into your final product.

Then use molds and castings to make your candles.  Note the coloring differences between the candles.

If you are really patient, you can make some fabulous, award-winning creations, like this one!

Yes, those are rose petals made one by one, with beeswax.  If you come to the Illinois State Fair this summer, you will see even more of these on display.  Perhaps you can make something interesting and submit your honey or wax-creation entry to win a prize.  

Now's the time to be working on these creations, in between checking on your bees during breaks in the weather. 

Until next time!
tim

A few years ago, I received a magazine that told me about Heifer International.   The article went into the idea of giving a bee hive to a family as a nutritional or money-making source.  While I realize it's past the end of the year, you can start out the New Year right with a charitible (tax deductible) contribution to this fine project.  A $30 donation funds a hive of bees to someone in a country where they need help to make a living.  In this case, a family receives a package of bees, the box and hive plus training in beekeeping.

If you've not heard of Heifer, you can also check them out at CharityNavigator.org.  They get a 3 out of four stars for accountability and transparency, which functionally means that 3/4 of your dollar goes to the actual recepient of the donation.  I'm sure there are other organizations that do this, but I didn't find any in a quick search on the internet.  Maybe you or I can start another one!   

Division = Multiplication.  Another thing I like about Heifer, when the new beekeeper gets going, and as part of the program, the recipient has the responsibility to pass their experience on to another person.  So, like the rest of us beekeepers, in the next year they'll do a split of the donated hive  and give the split to another new beekeepr, helping that person get started as well.

So, what are you going to do? 

Grab your favorite hive tool, crack open the check book, and write a check out to these fine people. Or you can use your credit card at their site. 

Can you imagine the thrill this person will have in entering the beekeeping world?
 
And you'll feel better about helping someone out there that shares our love of honey and bees. 

Last thing, take your right hand, raise it up over your head, and pat your self on the back.  You did a good thing today for your fellow travellers, and for bees too.  On the whole, that's a great day!

Until next time, see you around the hive!
tim