Propolis build up at entrance?

Jacar · November 03, 2014, 06:04:02 PM

I have 4 active hives that appear to be healthy after checking them. They all produced a nice harvest this past July. One of them I have been noticing since September, a build up or what appears to be propolis covering the entrance.

The bees are moving in and out and are quite active. We are just now now getting our first "cool" weather in the Houston area. I have never seen this before. Does anyone have an idea if it is a problem or not?

iddee · November 03, 2014, 06:53:57 PM

No problem. The bees think their door is too large.

hjon71 · November 03, 2014, 09:57:23 PM

Quote from: iddee on November 03, 2014, 06:53:57 PM
No problem. The bees think their door is too large.

Ditto. Yep. I agree. :shock: :)

Culley · November 04, 2014, 01:55:10 AM

Wow - I'd love to see a photo of that.

I've had the bees make propolis tunnels coming in from the ventilation holes on migratory lids. I have one hive that puts a bead of propolis in every seam and corner in the woodenware.

Michael Bush · November 04, 2014, 09:13:26 AM

Before they bred propolis gathering out of the bees to the point they have now, it was called propolis because that means literally (in Greek) "before the city". They piled it at the entrance to reduce it and it was named after that action. Now you don't see it so much...

Jacar · November 04, 2014, 09:33:27 AM

Thanks for the replies. I'd love to post a pic, but I'm not the most tech savvy guy around.

ScituateMA · November 04, 2014, 05:05:00 PM

that is a very typical behavior of Caucasian bees

Culley · November 05, 2014, 09:20:08 AM

My Australian native stingless bees put propolis all over the place around their entrance. I read that they'll kill SHB by putting propolis over them when they hide in corners.

Jacar, I sent you a PM with my email address, if you send a pic I'll post it here, or send to a moderator and they will.

Culley

DavidD · November 05, 2014, 10:03:18 AM

several years ago I had a sworm move into a squerrel house in one of my trees. Every winter they would close up the entrance to about the size of a 3 or 4 bee entrance in the summer they open it back up to almost full open. They are what got me interested in honey bees. I think I may have some pic's some place I'll look
Dave

Culley · November 06, 2014, 05:00:36 AM

This is Jacar's photo. Thanks for sending it to me. I've never seen anything like this, in subtropical Australia.

Sorry about the grey bit at the bottom.

GSF · November 06, 2014, 03:50:33 PM

Interesting! good pic.

Steel Tiger · November 06, 2014, 09:52:03 PM

pretty neat pic

thewhiterhino · November 06, 2014, 10:00:16 PM

A picture is truly worth a thousand words. I did not visualize a full width opening closed up like that.

Eric Bosworth · November 07, 2014, 12:07:21 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on November 04, 2014, 09:13:26 AM
Before they bred propolis gathering out of the bees to the point they have now, it was called propolis because that means literally (in Greek) "before the city". They piled it at the entrance to reduce it and it was named after that action. Now you don't see it so much...

Why did they breed propolis gathering out of bees? I ask because there appears to be a bit of a market for it.

Michael Bush · November 10, 2014, 08:49:46 AM

>Why did they breed propolis gathering out of bees?

Because prying everything apart in a beehive is work. Because having a frame stuck to your glove and it won't come off is work. It turns out it was a bad idea (see Marla Spivak's work on propolis and bee health) but it seemed like a good idea at the time...

Culley · November 10, 2014, 09:49:55 PM

Is anyone trying to actively breed propolis gathering & use back into bees?

It would be very interesting to see any research on links between propolis and pest / disease issues. I'll look up Marla Spivak now :) As aforementioned, Australian native bee colonies put propolis on the small hive beetles when they hide in cracks, which kills them. I think this is the coolest thing ever.

Edit: here are some publications by Marla Spivak and colleagues http://www.beelab.umn.edu/Research/Publications/index.htm

hjon71 · November 10, 2014, 10:25:29 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on November 10, 2014, 08:49:46 AM
>Why did they breed propolis gathering out of bees?

Because prying everything apart in a beehive is work. Because having a frame stuck to your glove and it won't come off is work. It turns out it was a bad idea (see Marla Spivak's work on propolis and bee health) but it seemed like a good idea at the time...

+1
When I received my hive from my father then first thing I noticed was how everything was glued down tight. Now this is a hive that had gone undisturbed for several years yet were still healthy. As I removed old rotten hive bodies to replace with new it was a chore to get the frames unstuck and I broke a few in the process.
My first thought was, Man I wish they wouldn't make such a mess. Now however, after much reading and study(Thanks to this site and good folks like M. Bush), I realize it is in fact a good trait for the bees. Even if it means a little more work for me.

BeeMaster2 · November 10, 2014, 10:59:26 PM

In Brazil they have AHB that they breed for making green propolis from a special tree. They leave a 3/4" opening in the side of the hive the length of the hive. When that is filled in they remove another 3/4" section and then another. Then they harvest a 3/4" by 1 1/2" by 18" long section of solid propolis. It is made into a spray.
Jim

capt44 · November 13, 2014, 12:45:34 PM

Yep by closing down an entrance or hole with propolis it's their way of cutting down on air flow and light.

Eric Bosworth · November 13, 2014, 01:40:05 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on November 10, 2014, 08:49:46 AM
>Because prying everything apart in a beehive is work. Because having a frame stuck to your glove and it won't come off is work. It turns out it was a bad idea (see Marla Spivak's work on propolis and bee health) but it seemed like a good idea at the time...

Ahh yes... Unintended consequences. Goes back to the quote from your book...

"There are a few rules of thumb that are useful guides. One is that when you are confronted with some problem in the apiary and you do not know what to do, then do nothing. Matters are seldom made worse by doing nothing and are often made much worse by inept intervention." -The How-To-Do-It book of beekeeping, Richard Taylor

I would say that statement applies to much more than beekeeping. Government comes to mind... Anyway, I think propolis is kind of neat. Yes it can be annoying but so can dying bees.