Propolis, also known as “bee glue” is one of my favorite products made by the bees, and also the main one that brought me to work with them. Most people believe honey to be the most medicinal gift from the bees, but propolis is also highly medicinal, maybe even moreso. The bees make propolis by collecting resins from the buds of flowers and trees. The resin is then chewed by the bees and mixed with their saliva and wax, and they spread it throughout the inner walls of the hive. They also spread it along the inside of the cells of their comb to provide an antimicrobial layer of support for raising their baby bees. Propolis is a large part of the bees’ immune system. The resins serve as the blood and immune system of the trees and flowers. When a tree gets a cut, you can see it begin to ooze resin which seals the cut and begins the healing process. This is why resins and propolis are so precious to bees.
The bees carefully coat the inside of the hive with propolis to serve as their external immune system. They can even be seen doing a dance called washboarding on the front of the hive, where they are coating it with a thin layer of propolis. Propolis has antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial properties that keep the bees healthy. Bees are thought of as some of the cleanest animals in the world because of the cleansing power of their propolis. They have even been known to make little channels of propolis that will collect moisture inside the hive, and they drink this moisture like a medicinal tea! Bees have also been known to encase predators inside a tomb of propolis in a hive. It is not uncommon to see a whole mouse or a group of hive beetles entombed in propolis. Propolis can also serve as fire protection inside the hive. Highly resinous trees tend to survive wildfires more easily than trees that do not have high resin contents. Some people have found that their hives have been saved from wildfires due to the thick protective layer of propolis inside the hive.
Propolis smells wonderful, and people have used it for thousands of years for its potent medicine, and it is burned to kill bacteria and viruses in the air indoors. It has also been known to help to fight flus, kill warts, reduce inflammation, protect from radiation, reduce stomach ulcers, fight resistant strains of staph, boost the immune system, help stabilize blood sugar, regulate the endocrine system and so much more. Since propolis comes from many different plant sources, it is never quite the same, which makes it difficult to study, but that is also part of the beauty of propolis. Propolis is a representation of the deep medicine of the local trees and plants from which it was derived. Just like honey, it tells the story of the place it was created. All propolis is medicinal, but some propolis is more effective than others depending on the region it comes from and the local plants.
Many beekeepers sell propolis in the form of a tincture. You can contact your local beekeeper to purchase some of that wonderful healing medicine. I also offer propolis in my online shop as well.
Bee Blessings,
Ali Pinion Bee Guardian