>
> Propolis to cap cells?? Really?? Don't bees use regular wax to seal cells on comb? As far as I know, nobody here on the list picked up on this. Am I wrong in my ideas of how bees cap comb?
> If you melt cappings with dry heat thru a filter cloth you get a brown residue. So not all pure wax.
I have not tried to extract propolis from the residue, as I do not know what solvent to use. I just immerse the filter cloth in cold water and rub the residue off as a dense brown stiff sludge. Must be mostly propolis as what else can it be?
I have always believed the cappings were a mix to let them pass air for the pupa to breathe.
Robin , from UK.
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