It is made from tree sap, resin, and other additives. It is used to seal cracks, cover objects the bees can't move, ETC. It is also medicinal, as most diseases and bacteria cannot penetrate it.
That is just a start. Some of the other members can add volumes to that.
propolis is more or less the glue of the hive. They will use it to close up holes and seal cracks as iddee said. As for its medicine value it is an anti bacterial that is usually made into a tincture or a topical ointment to aide in the healing of cuts and abrasions. which helps keep the infection away. If you search back in history you will find propolis remedies have been around longer than modern medicine.
If a space in a hive is greater than 3/8" (aka beespace) bees may fill the space w/ comb. If it is less than 3/8" they fill it w/ propolis.
I wonder how the bees gather the stuff, pack it on their pollen baskets and use it back home w/out getting all glued up themselves? Maybe it isn't so sticky until it cures?
propolis is latin for before the city. pro polis. Polis as in metropolis. Pro as in pro, before.
You probably wanted the chemical breakdown though, didn't you? I'll look it up in my encyclopedia.
"gathered from alder, poplar and horsechestnut, and various exudations from wounds in any woody plant."
"It is made up of an indeterminate number of substances, and thus has no specific chemical formula."
"...used as a putty, especially when mixed w/ wax."
"... special varnish used by Stradivarius, the violin maker."
I know it is used in cosmetics and toothpaste. Tom's brand comes to mind.
A friend of mine has collected it from scrapping supers during the extracting process. I don't know if he will be doing that this year or not, because, last I heard, Beehive Botanicals is shut down.
How up to date does one need to be? Mine is a 1985 first print edition and weighs about the same as a 1 KVALITETE jar of Lavanda honey from Coatia. Sittin' right there on my book shelf. You know what books are, don't you? Much more satisfying than on line info sources.
I agree with Mark, books are MUCH more satisfying..... Little Man would take the other side of that debate and ride that horse till it threw him, then chase it down and ride it another ten miles!
Thanks for answering the propolis question.....I'm willing to bet there will be more. That young man has serious things brewing in that mind of his and is yet unable to really say it all.
I love that part about the horse. What a mental picture. How quaint and qalloquial (if that is the right word. i'm sure it isn't the correct spelling.)
My Dad sometimes said, "Pity the poor man who can't spell a word more than one way." Trouble is, he could misspell the word right 5 different ways in one letter. I think he was proud of his ability or, like me, was lazy.
Anyway, I liked what you said and how you said it.
awww, thanks Mark.... people tell me often that I have a "different" way with words.
In this instance though, there really just isn't a better way to describe how my Little Man can be persistent in his like or dislike of any given situation to the extreme.
I know propolis also has some beeswax in it. I've read somewhere that it also has some glandular secretions.
I was heating some propolis to remove the debris and the wax seaparated. It was a booger to work back in.
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