1)05. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



95 



accomplish something that will help bee-keeper. The covers, supers and 

 you — meet them half way, join hands brood nests are sometimes fastened 

 ith them, do it promptly, and sue- together so hard that it is next to 



■CSS is assured. 



Flint, Mich. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, 



Secretary. 



PROPOLIS FROM START 

 FINISH. 



TO 



(Translated from Le Rucher Beige, 

 by Adrian Getaz.) 



[F AT THE end of summer we take 

 a small branch from a tree we 

 see at the base of each leaf a bud. 

 This bud must remain undeveloped 

 )ut alive during the whole winter. To 

 hat effect it is enclosed in a set of 

 iry scales and these are covered with 

 I coat of varnish. When the spring 

 omes, the warmth of the sun softens 

 he varnish and the ascending sap 

 orces the scales apart and lets the 

 lew leaves and branches come out 

 reely. That varnish is what we bee- 

 keepers call propolis or bee-glue. It 

 ■^ far more abundant on some kinds 

 if trees than others, and the quantity 

 gathered by the bees is therefore 

 mich greater in some localities than 

 n others. In some places its excess 



impossible to pull them apart. The 

 frames are fastened to the rabbets that 

 support them and if they happen to 

 he too close to each other, they are 

 invariably glued together. 



Some kinds of propolis cause red- 

 ness and a kind of eruption on those 

 who have delicate hands. Washing 

 the hands with a light solution of am- 

 monia will do away with the trouble. 



Notwithstanding the precaution that 

 the bees will take to fill all the cracks 

 with propolis, the moth worm 

 get in as in warm weather the pro- 

 polis is soft enough to allow the 

 worms to burrow through it. The 

 moth frequently deposits her eggs on 

 or near such cracks. When fresh 

 propolis is yellow, but in getting old 

 it turns brown. When warmed, pro- 

 polis becomes quite soft and can be 

 kneaded and drawn in threads. It has 

 an aromatic odor. When burnt, this 

 odor becomes decidedly resinous. By 

 distillation a strongly perfumed es- 

 sential oil can be obtained. Propolis 

 does not dissolve in water, but 

 dissolves perfectly in alcohol, 

 ammonia and spirits of turpen- 

 These solutions when filter- 



"Hstitutes a regular nuisance 



In gathering propolis the bees first tine 



)u!l it ofT in shreds with their man- ed constitute an excellent varnish. 



libles, pass it to the front legs and I" Ri-^ssia, where wooden utensils are 



hese to the others and finally to the m"ch used in the household, the fol- 



'<)llen baskets and it is thus carried lowing kind of varnish is prepared: 



o the hive. The bees do not store 1'wo parts of propolis, one of wax 



iropolis like the honey or pollen ^"d four of linseed oil. The oil is 



rhey use it at once. Those that lieated but not enough to boil. The 



-ome in loaded with propolis cannot ^ax and propolis are put m and the 



ake it from the pollen baskets with- whole stirred until thoroughly mixed. 



xit the aid of other bees. These pull ^^^^ wooden utensils are then plunged 



t of¥ in threads and carry it where '" '^ during ten or fifteen minutes, 



A-anted. The bees use propolis chiefly tben withdrawn and polished by rub- 



u fill up the cracks, holes or other ^mg with a woolen rag. The feeders 



'laces too small for them to go "''^'^^ °^ w*='°d ^°"^d ^^ treated the 



hrough. All the interior of the hive ^^^^ ^'^^^ '^'^^ mixture, when hot, 



s varnished with a coat of propolis; ""ght be applied with a brush. 



\alls, frames and even sections if left Propolis can be used as a cement 



ong enough. Sometimes they use it to stop crack? of water pipes, and 



r> make the entrance to the hive any utensil not submitted to too 



mailer. It is said that it is to pre- 

 ent the entrance of the large night 

 uitterfly called "sphynx tete de mort." 

 '^Tis may be, as in some sections of 

 his country (Belgium) where that 



much heat. Broken china or glass 

 can be mended w'th it. 



An excellent ointment for all sorts 

 of wounds and bruises can be made 

 with a mixture of propolis, wax and 



■utterfly does not exist, the partial tallow, heated together. It is used 



losing up of the entrance does not yet extensively in some countries. 



'^cuv. 'Pl^e smoke of propolis is excellent 



If the presence of propolis is an ad- to subdue bees, and will do it even 



antage to the bees, it is not so to the upon those with which the usual fuels 



