When do we harvest propolis?
Grinded Propolis Propolis is harvested during plant flowering. This is the period June - August, but after the beekeeper completes harvesting, bees continue to get it into the hive during the fall.
How do we harvest propolis?
Propolis collector mesh Bees instinctively fill up the spaces that are too small so bees cannot go through them. Their favorite material for this purpose is the propolis. Furthermore, the bees coat with propolis all surfaces inside the hive. This coating prevents spreading of microorganisms and diseases inside the hive thus protecting the bees and the bee products. The bees will fill up every small hole they have in the hive and because of that, we, beekeepers, put meshes with large holes, which however are not large enough for bees to go through them. So the bees fill the holes with propolis that later we scrape off, or crush the meshes.
What the propolis is used for?
Propolis finds numerous applications in medicine and apitherapy. It is mainly used in the form of an extract (tincture). The most common option is an alcoholic propolis tincture, which beekeepers traditionally prepare. In natural form it is used in some folk medicine recipes.
