Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Beekeeping 101 => Topic started by: Zweefer on August 22, 2022, 09:34:42 am
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Had some extra sticky propolis with the consistency of chewing gum on some frames yesterday. Was a bear to get off my hands.
What are your techniques for propolis removal?
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Any non-polar solvent (anything not water soluble) should work. I use rubbing alcohol, 70% if I can get it. I use that for both my tools and my hands. I find that if I get the propolis softened up with the rubbing alcohol and then wash my hands with dish soap, NOT hand soap, I'm clean enough to go about the rest of my business without making everything sticky. Sometimes my hands, particularly the cracks around my nails, will be stained for a few days, but that's no big deal.
Speaking of chewing gum, I actually tried chewing propolis like chewing gum the other day, because I've heard of people doing that. Propolis is extremely good for your teeth. It was fine, but it was kind of bitter tasting, and if I chewed on it too hard it would get too stuck in my teeth to be any fun.
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After seeing a mouse propolitised (is that even a word) I don’t think I could eat the stuff, knowing that it is used for sealing unwanted things in/out… :no:
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I don't know if it works, but a beekeeper I know always swears by putting honey on propolis to remove it. When extracting, it doesn't seem to make any difference on the hive tool.
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After seeing a mouse propolitised (is that even a word) I don’t think I could eat the stuff, knowing that it is used for sealing unwanted things in/out… :no:
Just to be clear, I was just chewing it, not actually eating it. And I say "propolized", but I'm not sure that's a real word either. :D
I don't know if it works, but a beekeeper I know always swears by putting honey on propolis to remove it. When extracting, it doesn't seem to make any difference on the hive tool.
I'm not sure why that would work, it just sounds like that would be even stickier. :-\
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Honey works on clothing- not so much on skin…