Propolis
Lexikon
The resin mixture with which bees seal their hive and keep it low in germs.
The resin mixture with which bees seal their hive and keep it low in germs. They collect bud resin from a wide variety of trees, including poplar, birch, willow, chestnut and conifers, and process it in the hive with wax and glandular secretions.
In the hive they use it to seal cracks, narrow the entrance, smooth out unevenness and coat surfaces. The plant compounds it contains inhibit bacteria, viruses and fungi, which contributes considerably to health in a densely populated, warm and humid hive.
Propolis is harvested using grids that the bees build up, or by scraping the frame bars. It has long been used in folk medicine.
Sources (4)
- LWG Veitshöchheim, Fachzentrum Bienen: Propolis, Herkunft, Bestandteile, Verwendung und Gewinnung
- Landesanstalt für Bienenkunde, Universität Hohenheim: Propolis
- Die Honigmacher (Schnupperkurs): Propolis, das Kittharz der Bienen
- Imkerverein Büchertal: Die Propolis, Harzquellen Birke, Kastanie, Pappel, Weide, Fichte, Kiefer, Tanne