Have have seen the orange band of propolis around newly drawn comb, have it
this year on some of my Ross Rounds which doesn't make for pretty comb
honey. A few years ago I asked Marla if the bees would use propolis to cap
honey cells, she said no. That year I had some frames that where very hard
to uncap, the stuff did not want to come off, it melted more like propolis
than wax. She said my frames where to old to get rid of them but they where
not really really old, just a little old.

I melt propolis over boiling water on aluminum foil to make a water proof
seal for cuts, stick it on the cut when it is cool enough to not burn but
still hot enough to stick. When it hardens you have a nice water proof seal
over a cut. Salt water in cuts delays healing and it is the best water
proof bandage I have come up with for my family members that work on the
ocean every day. You still have to cover it with a bandage which gets wet
but at least the cut is protected. The cappings on those frames melted like
propolis, my uncapping knife was a real mess.

Karen T-K
coast of Maine (eat Maine lobster)

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