>
>A while back we discussed at some length the varnishing of the internal surfaces of hives, including combs. 

Marla Spivak is/was? in California working with beekeepers, so last week
we were treated to a presentation in which she included some interesting
results on propolis trials.

Her team recently received a colony from felled bee tree and observed
that the interior of the cavity was neatly sealed with propolis, 
the area that was not was greatly degraded by fungus. 
She indicated that the bees may be more inclined to propolize rough 
surfaces as compared to planed sides as are the norm in supers.

She also shared results from a study in which bees were observed in 
3 differently prepared nuc boxes. One was untreated and the other 
two with two different sources of propolis as a 'varnish'.  The 
immune systems of the bees in the treated boxes were significantly
'quieter' compared to that of the bees in the untreated one.

Kathy Kellison

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