As a newer beekeeper I am often frustrated by the lack of some things which are normal byproducts of beekeeping. Drawn comb is one obvious example. The other is propolis. I’d love to be able to paint the inside of my new boxes with a propolis tincture, but people who pay ridiculous prices for mere grams of this alchemist’s dream dissolved in alcohol make this nearly impossible.
The bees I’ve chosen to get me started with drawing comb (Italians of course) also seem to be a line that collects little propolis. The wax production is amazing, however.
I think it was Spivak who recently did work using milled grooves in the hive walls to encourage the bees to collect propolis to coat the walls. Since hearing that I have been racking my brain trying to figure out a reasonably scalable method to do that for myself. How long I wonder before “rough” hive bodies are offered for sale? Using this seems to avoid the work involved in collecting propolis, making a tincture, and painting it on. Just let the bees do it!
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Lee Bussy
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