Propolis for immunity and well-being
I learned recently that many folks don’t know what propolis is. Before I was a beekeeper, I didn’t either.
Propolis is one of the substances that honey bees create that’s easily harvested from the hive. Honey bees make propolis from plant resins, often sourced from trees. They use propolis to insulate the hive and manage pests. Every crack gets sealed with propolis, preventing wind, rain, and pests from entering. If an unfortunate mouse or other small critter makes its way into the colony and it’s stung to death, the bees will encase the body in propolis. This essentially preserves the carcass and prevents decay. Honey bees also use propolis to create “beetle jails” for Small Hive Beetles. They’ll find a corner or a frame, make a three-sided “jail” out of propolis, and corral the beetles in, then seal them up a la “The Cask of Amontillado”. (Edgar Allen Poe nerds rejoice!)
Propolis in Varroa management
Recent studies also show that colonies with higher levels of propolis have better Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) management tendencies. In 2021, THE ROYAL SOCIETY published findings about behavioral immunity related to propolis and Varroa. Because of new research like this, some beekeepers add grooves to the inside of the hive, or create rough parts of the interior with sandpaper in efforts to encourage bees to create and apply more propolis around the hive. According to the research, “Propolis significantly increased the mortality of Varroa mites, which approached 20% in treated cells.” This is a significant advantage with Varroa management given that a single female mite will produce 7 more mites each time she is sealed inside a brood cell. Knocking down 1 in 5 mites means knocking down 7 more, and so on.
What about for humans?
According to NUTRIENTS, “Propolis is a honey-related product with reported health benefits such as improved immunity, lowered blood pressure, treated allergies and skin conditions.” The research also explores neuroprotective properties. Beyond these many benefits, the spotlight came to honey bees again with COVID-19. CHINESE MEDICINE deep dives into the many clinical applications and states, “recent studies, showed that both propolis and its constituents had potential efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 by modulating multiple pathogenic pathways.”
Eat raw propolis?
For humans, as an edible product, propolis can be eaten straight from the hive (which I haven’t done—yet), preserved in an alcohol-based tincture, added to pill capsules, or sprinkled in smoothies. (If you ever try raw propolis, just touching it will tell you that it is STICKY. I imagine it would cause a lot of dental issues if you have fillings!)
Propolis in skincare
As a topical application, propolis can be use in lotions, serums, and ointments. According to a 2020 study published in MOLECULES, propolis is used to manage staph infections. “Thanks to its antiseptic properties it is used in dermatology to treat staphylococcal, streptococcal and fungal infections. Purulent skin infections, hidradenitis, intertrigo, cheilosis, and thrush, among other things, are treated with propolis…Propolis is not only antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory but also…reduces pain.”
Where to find propolis in the hive
Just as some honey bee colonies are great honey producers and others excellent wax producers, some colonies excel at creating propolis. How do you know if a colony is a great propolis producer? The first sign that a colony is a good propolis producer is that it’s hard to open the top cover. If the colony has done a great job making propolis and sealing the spots where light and wind come in, the top cover will be challenging to remove. Usually, a light lift with a hive tool will separate the cover from the hive, but when propolis production is high it might take prying each side or corner. The second sign is that it’s challenging to lift the frames out. Honey bees usually add propolis where the frames hang on the hive body (box). The frames typically can’t be lifted without prying with a hive tool, but when a colony is ramping up their propolis each frame will be stuck together. This requires shimmying every frame apart and then slowly prying each frame out.
How to harvest propolis
Many folks have told me that harvesting propolis is simple. Overall, it is. However, I’ll add a footnote with a few caveats to that. In North Carolina, where I keep bees, colonies produce the most propolis every fall. This is their way of chopping wood for winter. The extra propolis helps get their colonies insulated before temperatures drop. Once temperatures fall, the colony moves into a cluster to stay warm, so individual bees won’t have an opportunity to move away from the cluster long enough to gather tree resin or seal cracks. Around this time of the year beekeepers can add a propolis trap. It’s a thin, flexible piece of slatted plastic that rests on the top box below the top cover. Each of the slats is too small for bees to pass through, but large enough to let light through. When the bees see light coming in, they seal each slat with propolis. Once the trap is full, it’s placed in a garbage bag in the freezer. After it’s frozen, you can twist and bend the trap while it’s in the bag. The intent is that most of the propolis should shatter and fall out of the slats, which lets you pour the bag out into a bowl and then use or preserve the propolis however it’s intended. My caveat to this part of the process is that my frozen propolis didn’t fall out of the trap. At all. I sacrificed an old butter knife and pushed the propolis out of each slat onto a table I had lined with construction paper. This took a very long time. Hours.
Propolis tinctures and preservation
Fortunately, creating an alcohol-based tincture with propolis extends its life and applications. Creating a propolis tincture meant that I would have enough to use for years before I would need to harvest more. Making the tincture is the easiest process. Mix some propolis in a glass jar with vodka and let it sit for a few weeks, then strain. I’m planning a separate post with step-by-step details. I’m also adding a propolis trap on one of my hives this week because one of you dear readers would like some to make their own tincture. Once I harvest the next batch of propolis, I’ll let you know if there’s extra!