THE HOME OF THE BEES 



to tightly propolize or glue it in place. I have 

 known of instances where squirrels, snakes, 

 mice, and even toads, have invaded a hive and 

 been stung to death, and the bees, being unable 

 to remove the carcass, have covered it with a 

 thick coating of propolis until it has been 

 literally embalmed or mummified. The pro- 

 polis is secured from resinous trees, and when 

 first gathered is so sticky that the bees smear 

 it over their hives at once. Certain races of 

 bees gather more propolis than others, the 

 Caucasians particularly being generous, in 

 fact too generous, in its use. There is no 

 doubt that while propolis is troublesome when 

 prying off the lids of hives, and taking out the 

 frames, it is nevertheless a preservative to the 

 wood of the hives and adds to their life and 

 usefulness. 



It was their love for propolis or glue that 

 led to the wide publication some years ago 

 of the story of the funeral of a German 

 beekeeper, whose coffin, as it was carried 

 from the house to the hearse, was covered by 



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