At 19:41 05/11/96 +0000, you wrote:
>In article <v02120d00aea39f2d6f15@[143.167.75.36]>, "M.Westby (Max
>Westby)" <[log in to unmask]> writes
>>Dear bee people
>>
>>Greetings from Sheffield. Has somebody out there got a method for
>>separating propolis from the bits of wood, bee and wax from my hive
>>scrapings?  I now have about 2 kg of the stuff and want to start doing
>>something with it...
>>
>>Cheers, Max
>>
I have used industrial alcohol when I can get it or as an alternative
surgical spirit which is much cheaper and easily obtained from the local
chemist (pharmacist).  I put the propolis  scrapings into the liquid and try
to get as concentrated a solution  as possible.  Heating in a water bath
helps.  Filtering is easy using a funnel and a coffee filter.  The resulting
tincture is amazing at healing cuts, abrasions, etc. and removing painful
inflammation.   A few drops in water is also good for mouth ulcers when used
as a mouthwash.
 
Although I like to use it, I hesitate suggesting it for other people and
would never consider selling it as a tincture.  If I had enough good clean
flakes I would sell it "raw" to manufacturers who produce bona fide approved
products.
 
Isn't there a problem  too that a lot of propolis these days contain an
unacceptably high lead content?
 
In our first years of beekeeping I conscientiously sealed hive roof joints
with bitumen paint.  The bees loved it.  Their roof was water tight but they
also collected it as a propolis substitute. Handling black sticky frames for
the next few years was no fun
 
Regards,
 
Glyn Davies,
Ashburton, Devon, UK