Good Afternoon, Everyone,
 
Well, it seems I need to start out this post with a couple disclaimers, for
those of you who need them.  I'm not a doctor or scientist.  I'm your
average "Joe Blow", off-the-street, bee-keeper.  Some folks want documented
proof of what I'm writing.  I don't have documented proof, other than my own
medical bills (or lack of them), to show you that propolis works.  The
information, that I have shared, has come from varied sources; gleaning a
little bit here and a little bit there.
 
In the last post, I should have made the destinction between synthetic
antibiotics and natural ones a little more obvious.  For that oversite, I
apologize.  However, I did say that propolis is a natural, selective
antibiotic. I also indicated that it is an immune system booster.  Now, "on
with the show".
 
Someone asked me if I was purchasing already prepared propolis or using my
own. In answer to that question, for four years we have been purchasing our
propolis extract from a health-food store.  Last year I began trying to trap
my own, but I started very late in the season.  I had collected some, but we
had a friend in need, whom we gave it to.  So, this will be, really, the
first year of serious attempted trapping.
 
Last year, I purchased two different traps.  Each have good and bad
qualities.  One is like a sheet of loose-woven fabric, made of a very
flexible plastic.  I liked this one, because the bees seemed to like it the
best.  However, it layed on top of the frames, which meant that it was only
accessible, by the bees, in the spaces between the frames.  Obviously, it
limited the amount of propolis that could be trapped.  I am going to try to
figure out a frame that I can remove it from, once it's full, that will hold
it away from the frames and the top cover.
 
The other trap is a black, rigid plastic unit that is the same size as the
hive body.  Instead of the diamond shaped weave, like the green one, it has
long, skinny slots, therefore, it's harder to clean.  It doesn't lay on top
of the frames, but it does set flush against the top cover and the bees
didn't seem too interested in it.
 
To remove the propolis from the traps, the method is the same for both.
Place the trap in a plastic bag, in the freezer.  Once the propolis is
frozen, it will pop out of the trap.  It seems to come out of the green trap
the easiest.  Also, the green trap can be folded small, to fit easier in the
freezer.  The black unit stays the size of the hive body, so it's hard to
fit in the freezer, if your freezer's anything like mine.
 
During the next installment, we will talk about what to do with the
propolis, once you've trapped it.  Until then...
 
 
Cheers!
 
 
Mike Wallace
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McKinney, Texas   USA