Our President, Steve Repasky, has recently talked about the changing perception of propolis in the hive and referred to research done by Marla Spivak, PhD. I wanted to pass these thoughts on for your consideration. We all know that propolis is the sticky resin bees use to glue everything in our hives together and that it is highly antimicrobial meaning it is antibacterial, antifungal, and even antiviral. Most of us work hard to scrape it out of our hives. The research in the article linked below, indicates that we should probably be encouraging our bees to line the inside of our hives with propolis as they do in tree cavities where they nest. To facilitate this you can rough up the inside of your hive bodies with very coarse sandpaper encouraging the bees to cover them with propolis. This is not a silver bullet for our problems, but may be one more tool to improve the health of our bees. To read the full article,click here.
The Benefits of Propolis
About the Author: jeff shaw
Jeff is a third-generation beekeeper who currently manages 20 hives and mentors beginning beekeepers. He is passionate about promoting healthy colonies through natural beekeeping practices and sustainable integrated-pest-management techniques. Jeff has worked closely with Burgh Bees since 2009 in various capacities to increase community awareness and support for the organization. Elected to the board in the Fall of 2013, he will serve as the apiary director for our Homewood apiary and will mange corporate interest for our hive leasing and management program, with accounts such as Whole Foods Market and The Porch at Schenley, an Eat’n Park hospitality group restaurant. Jeff is an avid environmentalist and sustainable business owner. He created and runs SEEDS Green Printing and Design, a green printing and design company located in Pittsburgh that serves clients worldwide.
