propolis lined brood boxes

[pistolpete]

I heard about some research done by Marla Spivak about bee hives being healthier when their brood chamber was lined with propolis.  Feral bees line the insides of their cavities with propolis.   I also read somewhere that the deposition of propolis was determined by tactile stimuli.   In other words, when bees find something rough, they propolise it.    So my plan is to build a bunch of hive boxes with rough insides.  I already have a bunch of rough sawn cedar boards, so it's only a matter of just planing one side of the boards. 

What I'd like is some input on my plan.  Has anyone tried this.  Do you see any problems that I have not anticipated?

[Jen]

Not me. However, last year my hive of bees were propolis nuts. There would have been enough to do a double deep. I think you got someting there!

[Moots]

I heard about some research done by Marla Spivak about bee hives being healthier when their brood chamber was lined with propolis.  Feral bees line the insides of their cavities with propolis.   I also read somewhere that the deposition of propolis was determined by tactile stimuli.   In other words, when bees find something rough, they propolise it.    So my plan is to build a bunch of hive boxes with rough insides.  I already have a bunch of rough sawn cedar boards, so it's only a matter of just planing one side of the boards. 

What I'd like is some input on my plan.  Has anyone tried this.  Do you see any problems that I have not anticipated?

Pistol,
I attended the ABF conference in Baton Rouge this past week and sat in on a couple of sessions given by Marla Spivak. She spoke about this research, while she said more research was needed, she seamed EXTREMELY encouraged be their findings thus far.  Also, her best recommendation for getting more propolis was to do exactly what you are considering...using unfinished wood for the inside of the boxes to encourage the bees to fill the rough spots with propolis.
I could be mistaken, but I got the impression she was suggesting this for all boxes, including honey supers, and not just the brood boxes.

Good luck!

[tecumseh]

I suspect pistol pete you really do not need to do anything at all since this seems to be something all bees do anyway... and as far as I can tell to all forms of WOOD wares  If you watch closely over a time frame from new equipment to old equipment you will notice that all the wood wares on the inside of the box steadily gets a bit darker.  propolis does have significant anti bacterial properties so as time goes by the internal wood wares are increasingly a better habitat for honeybees.  I also suspect (don't really know but sounds reasonable none the less) that by adding propolis to the insider surface of the hive that the surface of the wood also becomes less porous.... sealed in a manner of speaking.

[Perry]

FWIW, when the local mill runs my pine off, they start with material that is about 1 to 1 1/8" thick rough thickness. They usually mill this down to standard 3/4" planed on both sides for sale.
For my order they plane it to 7/8" and try to have at least one side planed nicely, and on some of the material there is a minor bit of roughness or mild wane on the one side which I clearly put on the inside of my boxes (I figure the bees are happy in trees so....).
To be truthful I haven't noticed a difference, at least not enough to grab my attention. I do have some hives though, that are propolis machines, almost to the point of being a nuisance to clean up.

[Lburou]

Seems to me the dance on this issue would be to have just enough irregularity inside the boxes to stimulate laying propolis but not enough to harbor SHB and other insect eggs.  Remember, some of us have a hive beetle problem and they lay small eggs in crevices, so, you don't want it too rough sawn.  JMO   

[Jacobs]

Olav Rueppell, a professor of biology at UNC-G, and member of the Guilford County Beekeepers, suggested that we consider roughing up the insides of our boxes to encourage propolis linings.  He suggested this a couple of years ago when he gave our club an update on honey bee research he was conducting.  Given the anti viral/anti bacterial properties, how could it hurt?

[Jen]

FYI- if anyone wants to know how to make propolis tincture, visit 'product of the hive'. I have a recipe there.

[pistolpete]

my mentor makes a propolis paint by dissolving propolis in acetone and then paints his wooden ware with that.  I'd much rather make the bees do the work.  I was planning to do this for brood boxes only, but now I'm leaning toward all of them. 

[Moots]

my mentor makes a propolis paint by dissolving propolis in acetone and then paints his wooden ware with that.  I'd much rather make the bees do the work.  I was planning to do this for brood boxes only, but now I'm leaning toward all of them.

Pistol,
Again, I think you're on the right track, when Marla Spivak spoke about this at ABF, she explained their initial test involved making a propolis solution much like you are describing and painting the insides of boxes.  She explained that this is not a easy answer....First you have to collect the propolis, then make the solution, then paint it on.  That is why she advised against trying to do that and instead simply giving the bee a rougher box interior which would naturally cause them to fill it with propolis.