Propolis – putty resin

The word propolis comes from the Greek and is composed of the word PRO – in German “vor” and the word “POLIS” in German “city” and means “defense facility in front of a city”. That this designation is correct is illustrated by the barrier from propolis, which the bees sometimes erect behind the entrance, so that all occupants have to pass them when entering and leaving the stick and thus germs and bacteria brought along can be destroyed at the entrance.
Propolis ist ein Kittharz, ein Baustoff, mit dem die Bienen Spalten und Ritzen verstopfen und den ganzen Bienenstock gegen Hitze, Kälte und Regen isolieren. Propolis ist eine harzige Masse, die von verschiedenen Bäumen und Sträuchern zum Schutz der Blattknospen vor dem Austrocknen produziert wird.
Good propolis suppliers are e.g., poplar, willow, birch and alder. In our regions, the bees find this material in bark gaps of spruce, larch or other conifers. The different color depends on the respective plant and can be yellowish over reddish to dark brown.

Another hypothesis is that a large part of the amount of propolis, probably in the case of pollen digestion, is produced as a by-product. The pollen sheath contains balsamic substances and oils, as well as resin substances that serve to protect the pollen grain content from spoilage in bad weather. When preparing the pollen to larval feed, the bees must blow up the pollen grain, that is, remove the hard indigestible resin- and balsam-containing shell of the pollen grain. These pollen parts are precipitated as propolis droplets. What is certain is that the bees enrich propolis with a ferment of the digestive area.  

Historical

The knowledge which man has of the propolis does not go back quite as far as that of honey. But we know that even several millennia before our time, the priests of ancient Egypt knew this substance and used it in large quantities in the chemistry and art of mummification of their dead.
Further evidence of the propolis from the time of antiquity was provided by the famous Greek philosopher ARISTOTELES. He had built himself a transparent prey to study the life of the bee state in detail. But the bees, according to his statement, did not want to reveal their secrets and covered the transparent wall of the prey with a dark-colored substance, probably propolis
It is also certain that later the Italian violin makers could give their instruments tension, strength and a beautiful dark color through propolis lacquer. Propolis, however, was best known as a germ-inhibiting and killing remedy and became from the ancient Greeks to Napoleon to the Russians in the 2. World War used in war injuries as a wound remedy.

Collecting the Propolis

The harvest usually takes place at the end of a flower costume, or then in the autumn, when the people begin preparations for wintering. During the costume, so to speak, no propolis is collected – the bees have other things to do. The Caucasian bees are known as strong propolis collectors.
As a rule, only a few and especially older bees of a cane that pursue the strenuous occupation are usually to enter this resinous and sticky substance. These special bees collect this product on warm days, between 10.00 and 16.00. In contrast to the haste shown by the nectar and pollen collectors, the propolis collector goes to work quietly. With her sensors, she first senses the most interesting place of the resin source. If the propolis is hard, it is simply bitten off, but it is soft, as on a hot day, so the bee with its mandibles (pine) grabs a piece, moves its head backwards and pulls the measurements into a long thread until it breaks. With the front legs, the chunk is kneaded and brought to the rear of the buckle on the hind legs with the help of the middle legs. All these manipulations take quite a lot of time, but are mastered by the bee with a lot of skill and the handling of this sticky fabric makes no effort.
On her return to the hive, the propolis collector is taken off the harvest directly from the basket by other workers – either at the flight hole or directly at the place where the fabric is currently needed. This is a lengthy work that can take one or even several hours. As a result, a propolis collector can only fly out 5 to 10 times.

Harvesting the propolis by the beekeeper

The propolis can be collected by scraping and scraping the frames, deck boards and the walls of the hive, preferably at low outside temperatures, if the propolis is hard and brittle and easier to peel off. However, this propolis is not exactly clean, because scraping takes wood chips and wax particles with them. Clean propolis is harvested by hanging or placing special plastic grids that are commercially available. These are scraped off in winter or after a short stay in the freezer. A piece of burlap or very small gaps between the deck boards also allow a clean and more productive harvest. However, a rigorous and thorough removal of all propolis from the hive must be avoided, because it takes the people’s natural defense mechanism. In addition, propolis should only be harvested before the varroa treatment for tinctures etc.

Composition of the propolis

Although the composition may vary depending on the location, propolis consists mainly of:

• 50 to 55 percent resins and balm
• 30 to 40% wax
• 5 bis 10 % ätherische Öle
• 5% pollen
• 5% minerals and trace elements

However, it must be mentioned that the scientific research on the ingredients of propolis is far from complete. Until now, it has been known that propolis contains various vitamins from the B group, vitamin E, C, H, P, as well as organic acids (cinnamon acid), flavoring substances (vanillin), minerals and trace elements such as calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, etc. However, the most valuable component of propolis is the natural antibiotics – so that the bee colony can effectively protect itself from pathogens. In addition to the above-mentioned sealing of the hive, propolis is therefore also used for disinfecting or sterilizing the cells (darker honeycombs). Furthermore, propolis is used by the bees, together with wax, to embalm small animals and insects, which they have stabbed, but cannot transport out, since they are too heavy. This blocks the decay process (preservation).
Characteristics of the propolis

• Germ-inhibiting and killing properties on numerous bacterial strains (e.g. Salmonella)
• Virus-killing (flu viruses)
• Mushroom-killing
• Pain-numbing (anesthetic)
• Anti-inflammatory
• Wound Sealing (Tissue Regeneration)
• Anti-Rheumathematic
• Defensive strength
• Antioxidant (preservation)

Applications of the propolis

There has never been a panacea and that will not be the case in the future. It is therefore wrong to regard the propolis as a kind of miracle remedy. You can read about fantastic healing successes (tumors etc.) and great research results (Aids prevention with propolis, bee venom and pollen). However, this information must be taken with the utmost caution. It should also be borne in mind that any oral or rectal intake is associated with an allergy risk, although it has been found that the antibiotics contained in the propolis – unlike many synthetic antibiotics – have no side effects and are well tolerated. Propolis also has a very good effect on our immune system, so prophylactic intake in solid or liquid form, especially in winter, would be recommended. In Western Europe, apitherapy is still in its infancy. However, the eastern countries, such as Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, etc. have been intensively engaged in the research of bee products for some time.

1. Raw propolis
   Clean pieces of propolis can be stored in a light-protected and well-closed vessel, protected from heat, for several years. Rohpropolis does not lose chemical components or antibacterial effect.
2. Propolis tincture
   2 parts of propolis, preferably comminuted and cleaned, apply to 4 parts of ethyl alcohol (drinking alcohol 96%). The mixture is made in a light-protected and well-closed container (glass with rotary lock) in a dark place at room temperature approx. 2 weeks set up and shaken 2 to 3 times every day if possible. The liquid is then filtered with the aid of a paper filter (coffee filter) and stored in brown glass vials, if possible with drop counter. Such vials are obtained in pharmacies.
3. Propolis powder
   Clean propolis is frozen first and then ground in a coffee or herb mill. This powder can be taken in small amounts.
4. Propolis extract
   Propolis tincture can be placed in an open vessel in a warm place for a few weeks to make the alcohol evaporate. This gives a syrup-like concentrate having an approximately 90% propolis content. This extract is then excellent for making ointments. One suggestion: 10 g soft propolis extract 10 g of lanolin 80 g of petroleum jelly give a fine wound ointment.