[barry42001]

Hi,
Have Italians( so I was told ), and having a problem with excessive propolizing. I mean tearing up rabbets and top bars of frame trying to pry them loose. Takes quite the effort to simply loosen supers to take them off that combines with brace comb gives you a very good work out ( ohh did I mention I use deep supers ).
Aside from going to medium or shallow supers, and suggestions as to how to reduce the propolizing.
Thanks
Barry

 

[Iddee]

Two possibilities.

1... Bees will propolize spaces worse than snug fitting hive parts. Make the parts as close fitting as possible, with little or no space between.

2... Some strains of bees naturally make more propolis than others. You may have to requeen with a different strain in order to significantly reduce propolis production.

On the other hand, propolis sells for quite a high price. You might want to purchase a propolis trap and collect it.

 

[barry42001]

Thanks,
Actually they are gluing down between the top bars, and between the hive body wall and top bars.
As for collecting it, have seen propolis traps, will have to consider it, again thanks
Barry

 

[Iddee]

There should be no space between the top bars. They should be pushed tightly together and all the space on the outside next to the hive body.

 

[barry42001]

I can't remember the manufacturer, but are supposedily self spacing frames and in the hive the space is between the sides of top bars and between side bars near the top bars, and top bars to rabbet have started using metal inserts ( frame rests ) on the rabbets to try to make it easier to slide the frames and break the propolis, also thinking about using stoller frame spacers for honey supers in future bees draw out comb deeper easier uncapping no low spots on face of comb. So they advertize. I will close the frames as close as possible to try to ease the gluing job the bees are doing.
Thanks Barry

 

[Iddee]

This is a quote from another post.

>>>NEVER use 9 frames when using foundation. Only when using drawn comb, then only in the honey supers. Brood chambers should always have 10.<<<

There is a big difference in spacing in honey supers and spacing in brood chambers.

 

[Hobie]

There's an article on propolis in the latest Bee Culture which may or may not be interesting to you.

Some bees just love the stuff. I had one hive that, in the 2 weeks I left the Apiguard tray in, managed to completely glue it, on all sides, to the top of the frames.

 

[Robo]

I can't offer any advice on how to reduce propolis, but can offer some on how to deal with it and do less damage.

First of all, do you put nails thru the side bar into the top bar horizontally? It is hard to explain in words, but you can see what I mean at about the 8 min mark of the 3rd video (Eyelets & Assembly) here -> http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/frames-an ... -assembly/

Secondly, I really love this tool for removing frames, the double J hooks and the length makes it easy to pry up a frame using the adjacent frame as the fulcrum without doing any damage.

http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1526