{"id":8056,"date":"2023-01-13T18:41:06","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T23:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=8056"},"modified":"2023-01-13T19:04:40","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T00:04:40","slug":"what-is-propolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/what-is-propolis\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Propolis? A Guide For Beginning Beekeepers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Propolis is a sticky substance produced by honey bees using resins collected from trees and plants. To make propolis, bees mix the resins with wax and other material. Bees use propolis, or \u201cbee glue\u201d, to seal cracks and gaps in the hive, as well as to protect the hive from pests and diseases (hence, \u201cbee penicillin\u201d).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Propolis has antibacterial and antiviral properties making it a valuable hive product with potential benefits for human health, in addition to its use in the hive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While propolis is a valuable hive product, propolis can be a pain in the neck for beekeepers. By sealing seams between hive components, bees effectively glue them together. Heavily propolized boxes and frames can be difficult to separate, even with a hive tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article gets into detail about propolis for beginning beekeepers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Propolis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bees produce propolis using resins from trees and plants that foraging bees carry back to the hive with their pollen baskets. House bees remove the resins from foragers and mix them with wax and saliva to create bee propolis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We’ve seen people refer to the plant resins as “propolis.” For our purposes, propolis refers to the resinous product produced by the honey beees.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According to the USDA Forest Service<\/a>, resins are sap-like \u201cplant products that, are not soluble in water, harden when exposed to air, do not play a role in the fundamental processes of the plant, and. are generally produced by woody plants<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the hive, bees convert the resins to bee propolis by mixing them with wax, honey, and enzymes. The rough makeup of propolis is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n