Peter Dillon wrote:
> Propolis "collection" and use in the fall - bees are seen to seal as many
> cracks etc. in their colony container - are they just using propolis that
> has been stored?
I am sure that they are not. We see many bees returning with propolis in
the autumn, so although some may be re-used, there is certainly a large
amount being collected.
Yes, we see the 'sticky buds' on horsechestnut in the spring - every
schoolchild knows about those (OK, schoolchildren used to know about them,
before they became urbanised!) - but the sticky buds are long gone when the
main propolis gathering season starts. So where do they get it all from?
Best wishes
Peter Edwards
beekeepers at stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/
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