I have not seen a lot of responses to Todd's enquiry on propolis collection.
It is some years since I tried to rsearch plants for desirable propolis
qualities and I am not sure I do not have the proper scientific
qualifications to draw conclusions but as there may be some interest have
commented on Todd's post

> Are pines (and other conifers) known to increase propolis production?
What other major plants do bees >utilize for propolis?

We are collecting and marketing raw propolis from Australian flora.
Propolis collection can vary between hives in the same apiary.  Propolis
deposits will increase dramatically if ants move into the hive lids (these
are the very small sugar ants which seem to co-exist without weakening the
hives until evicted from the lids by the beekeeper).

A reference to the properties of propolis is contained at
http://www.goldenharmonyinc.com (have not checked this recently so apologies
if it is not current).  Propolis appears to be made up of as many as 150
complex compounds and there are also up to 200 flavonoids, many of which
have not yet been identified or researched for beneficial qualities.

Laboratory testing of raw propolis appears to consist of checking for
flavonoids known for beneficial qualities through prior research.  Not
surprisingly, propolis from different countries consists of different
flavonoids.

In relation to specific flavonoids, we located a research document at The
University of Queensland (Web page: http://www.uq.oz.au/fst/lihu.html)
where Dr. Lihu Yao is (or was at that time) researching flavonoids in
Australian honey for the purpose of authenticating the geographical and
botanical origin of Australian honey using profiles of honey flavonoids.

In response to Todd's query, eucalyptus species certainly yield propolis as
do conifers.  Flavonoids from the Australian grass tree have been identified.

Dr. Stefan Stangaciu., of the Institute of Apitherapy, Romania informed me that:

"No matter the vegetable or geographical origin, propolis has almost the
same biological functions"

This is of course assuming the bees are not incorporating wet paint or
melting bitumen as has been reported in industrialised zones.

Betty McAdam
HOG BAY APIARY
Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
J.H. & E. McAdam<[log in to unmask]
http://kigateway.kin.net.au/hogbay/hogbay1.htm

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