Propolis [prop-uh-lis] is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps (approximately 6 millimeters or less), while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax.
Its color varies depending on its botanical source, the most common being dark brown, but it can be found in green, red, black and white hues. Propolis is sticky at and above room temperature. At lower temperatures it becomes hard and very brittle. Propolis is also marketed by health food stores as a traditional medicine with a variety of uses.
Beekeepers recommend a piece of propolis kept in the mouth as a remedy for a sore throat. Propolis lozenges and tinctures can be bought in many countries. Though claims have been made for its use in treating allergies, propolis may cause severe allergic reactions if the user is sensitive to bees or bee products. Depending upon its composition, propolis may show powerful local antibiotic and antifungal properties. Studies also indicate that it may be effective as emollient and skin burn treatment.
For centuries, beekeepers assumed that bees sealed the beehive with propolis to protect the colony from the elements, such as rain and cold winter drafts. However, 20th century research has revealed that bees not only survive, but also thrive, with increased ventilation during the winter months throughout most temperate regions of the world. Propolis is now believed to reinforce the structural stability of the hive, reduce vibration, make the hive more defensible by sealing alternate entrances, prevent diseases and parasites from entering the hive, and to inhibit bacterial growth. It also prevents putrefaction within the hive because bees usually carry waste out of and away from the hive. However if a small lizard or mouse, for example, found its way into the hive and died there, bees may be unable to carry it out through the hive entrance. In that case, they would attempt instead to seal the carcass in propolis, essentially mummifying it and making it odorless and harmless.
The Daily Omnivore 
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