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How do Bees carry propolis?
Lmn, there's an article about this in the June, American Bee Journal. There are designated propolis gatherers in the hive. They carry it on their rear legs just like the pollen gatherers. It was weird, a couple of days before I read the article (accompanied by a picture or two) I saw one of my bees enter carrying propolis.
Michael Bush
06-28-2006, 05:52 AM
In their pollen baskets.
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/GatheringPropolis.jpg
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/GatheringPropolis2.jpg
JP and Michael,
Many thanks for your responses. I have often wondered how this was done. Here in south Texas, the propolis often comes from very sticky cedar tree rosin. I was worried that my girls would get all gummed up. The pictures were great.
Ron
Michael Bush
06-28-2006, 10:49 AM
The worker with propolis in their baskets requires assistance to get it out. smile.gif It doesn't just pop out like pollen does.
In their corbicula (I liked the logic from the ABJ article. It isn't just a pollen basket, it also carries propolis, so I decided to try to remember the right word. I use latin names for plants, though, that might explain it! smile.gif