Your proposal sound like a good idea and I may try it next year.  This year,
however, this was simply an opportunity to meet a request.
 
 
At 10:06 PM 8/27/96 -0500, you wrote:
>At 09:48  8/27/96 -0600, you wrote:
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
-----------------------
>>Sender:       Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
>>Poster:       Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]>
>>Organization: The Beekeepers
>>Subject:      Re: Propolis
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>>
>>> I have been contacted by a gentleman who would like to buy some
>>> propolis.  I have been scraping a lot of boxes and the mixture I get
>>> is mostly wax and propolis.  My question is:  Is there any practical
>>> way of separating the propolis from these scrapings?
>>
>>Place the mix into cold water.  Wax floats, propolis and dirt sink.
>>
>>The propolis must be dried.
>>
>>I did this years ago and sent samples to the buyer, was quoted a
>>price, sent the same material, and received 2/3 what they promised.
>>
>>FWiW
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>Allen
>>
>>W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
>>RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
>>Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
>>Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>
>
>
>What Allen says is true, except...  If the wax and propolis is clumped
>together, which most of it probably will be, it will be very difficult to
>separate.
>
>My suggestion to you is, if you're going to be selling propolis to this man
>on a regular basis, spend the small amount to purchase some of the propolis
>trap netting.  I say this specific type, because my experience has shown
>that the black, rigid type trap is not worth the extra money you have to pay
>for it.  I don't know who it's maker is, and I'm not trying to slam them,
>but I have been very displeased with the results from that type.  It's hard
>to get into the freezer, the propolis doesn't want to come out of it, and
>the bees don't like it as much.
>
>The netting type works much better, all the way around.  However, I did find
>that in order to maximize the yield, the netting needed to be in some sort
>of frame, which I am building right now.
>
>If you do it this way, you'll get a much better quality propolis than by
>scraping your boxes and it's an easy thing to do.  Just throw it on, under
>the top, and the bees do the rest.
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>
>
>
>Mike Wallace
>Sar Shalom Apiary
>McKinney, Texas   USA
>"Out of the heart, the mouth speaks."
>
>
Eric Abell
Gibbons, Alberta Canada
(403) 998 3143
[log in to unmask]