Beekeeping Techniques For Adding More Propolis For Healthier Bees

[@TonyRizk-tw3lx]

Hi David! Wire wheel is a great idea! However, anyone looking to use this method should consider using safety glasses. Those little wire hairs are extremely painful if lodged in your eyes. It's definitely an eye doctor visit. Believe me 😂

[@beek]

🫢 Can't believe I forgot! I'm obsessed with wearing eye and hearing protection.

[@TonyRizk-tw3lx]

@beek My problem is that each time I'm looking for a pair, none are in sight. it's like they picked up and walked away🙄 looking forward to tomorrow's live.

[@maryannl7904]

I use the wire wheel before assembling. Much easier.

[@beek]

Good point

[@KJO-1972]

Wonder if you just used rough saw lumber to build your boxes ??

[@beek]

Indeed!

[@davidlaing7684]

If you are building new boxes do this stressing before gluing and screwing the boxes.

[@beek]

Yup

[@frogsurfer4403]

Hey David, good try with the saw scratches. I want to add a few comments; I notice that you can only effectively scratch the wood with the grain because your boxes are pre constructed. I normally do this before box assembly which allows my make the scratches at a 45° angle to the wood grain and then repeat at an angle perpendicular to the first set of scratches thus creating the cross hatch pattern. I'll also note that you use deep boxes; the saw blade pressure is distributed over a larger area meaning that you need to use more force to gouge the wood. I ONLY use medium frame equipment for everything which means that my box sides are 3" narrower than yours; an equivalent amount of force on the saw blade gets distributed to a smaller area of wood so it creates more 'damage'. Greetings from Newfoundland. Four more months until dandelion season for me! Cheers!

[@beek]

Thanks!

[@rooster5277]

Please use safety glasses when you use any power tools especially wire wheels the wires can come off at any time, and your eyeballs are not replaceable

[@beek]

Yup, can't believe I forgot!

[@georgetaylor9154]

but what about , Progressing?? 🤔

[@edaycafe]

New news to me. Thanks

[@T0tenkampf]

I use shousugiban on the exterior of my cedar boxes. If done right there isn't much char since you brush that out. I then seal it with a mixture if raw linseed oil and beeswax. I've wondered if that would be good for the inside too.

[@tonybivens1945]

Old news is new for people just starting to keep bees

[@robertglenn5263]

New news to me, David! Thanks so much!

[@beek]

My pleasure!

[@HaroldKeiner]

After seeing your this video, I ordered a flat carving disc for my 4.5" grinder from amazon fairly inexpensive ,GRAFF Premium Wood Carving Disc 4 1/2 Inch for Angle Grinder. it throws sawdust around but you don't have the chance of wires breaking loose from a wire wheel and sticking in places you don't want them. Tried it on a fairly new box worked very good in my opinion. Would attach picture if possible. You still need to wear safety glasses Keep your videos coming, learn something from most of them.

[@jessicafairfax_Bens_Bees]

Great video David 👍😁 being a new bee, I hadn't heard of this method before. And I do collect some propolis for its holistic properties. 🐝✌️💜🌼🍯

[@beek]

Nice!

[@hallsneta]

Is there a link to the original video on scoring the inside of your hive?

[@stephenluna7932]

Looking forward to seeing the 2nd half in the summer on how they propalize it

[@beek]

Me too. One thing I'm troubled by is that it is referenced by some how bees create a propolis envelop in their natural habitat of a tree and yes that is true. BUT, bees in trees (feral) have not done well. Certainly not the ones I've observed. Studies show that even when varroa came into the US that feral colonies living in a propolis envelop did worse than in man made hives. In my opinion this does help only in that it lessens the immune energy that each bee exhibits. Studies do show a SLIGHT improvement, but not "SIGNIFICANT" improvements in bee health. But every little bit helps.

[@stephenluna7932]

@@beek were the bees that were in man made hives also managed by beeks or were they being treated the same as the bees in the propolis shell?

[@waynebonham6452]

Get you a small sand blaster and try that. It will cut some groves in the wood cause it has soft and hard ribs and then you will have ridges, Just like Ruffles has ridges. Lol

[@T0tenkampf]

Given that the enymology comes from Latin via Greek which favors the flow of the word above other thing (so a Latin professortold me), i would guess it is praa polis. MW and HowToPronounce agree.

[@evonyshaky65]

Vowel/ single consonant/ vowel :- The first vowel is accentuated.

[@keithmryeasr7248]

Hi David, I've been watching your Videos for a while and love the info you provide. The wire wheel should work. I've combined 4 wire wheels together on a shaft I attach to my drill to clean up old lumber to keep it looking rustic. I'm a carpenter and love to do wood working. I just happened to be making some boxes using rough-sawn lumber because it was a great deal. ( for the lumber) It's a bit more work on my end but I'm saving a lot on the expenses for the wood. Getting started is not cheap. Now that I saw that video from the expo I may rouphen up the interior a little more. It seems i can roughen up the wood before I assemble the boxes. Again it's another step and more time when your making boxes from scratch. Since I will be going into my 3rd year of beekeeping, It will be part of the learning period. I want to see if there is any difference between the boxes the are milled to be smooth ( like from the lumber store) and from rough-sawn lumber, Do the bees add more propolis on rouph wood than on smooth wood? This will be good to know. So I will be checking on this, this next season when I get my new rough boxes out in the apiary with the new colonies. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks, Any feedback will be much appreciated.

[@beek]

Some good ideas.

[@trutherjoe5286]

BRO! Thanks for the 'props' 😂 love your stuff!!❤

[@beek]

Glad you like them!

[@richardrbrynerjr.7912]

Propolis with an E is proepolis or propoelis or propolise or proepaliss or propalise or lets just call it resin?

[@willdelito8561]

AT WHAT TEMP DO HIVE BEETLES SHOW UP? IT'S BEEN A WARM WINTER HERE WITH LITTLE CLUSTER, BEES EATING UP STORES ,FLYING ON SUNNY DAYS.

[@beek]

Bad news, beetles love to overwinter in the cluster with bees and they start ramping up production as it warms up.

[@willdelito8561]

THANKS,I WAS UNAWARE. TRAPS GO IN TODAY @@beek

[@beekeeperclint]

Dave, very interesting! To address the person that said “old news”. As a 3rd generation beekeeper, I appreciate when folks bring up old techniques, sometimes we get tied up in the new studies and technology and forget time tested results!

[@beek]

Oh wow, this is a hot button for me. I've been in this so long and I'm constantly seeing people going crazy over what they believe is a new product, management style or idea. Or you are right, so many people live from one study to the next. But, no matter the newest study or newest or rebirth of an idea, beekeepers still MUST know basic bee biology and how to manage bees.

[@robertglenn5263]

Once they fill it with the propolis, do they have to keep filling the groves?

[@beek]

a valid point, and just how long will the propolis in those grooves be effective? I've read some studies say not much more than 12 months?

[@scottcompton433]

Did anyone talking about using a wood rasp?

[@beek]

I tried it but pretty labor intense.

[@KeesHoneyBees]

I got this info from you a couple years ago. I scratched all my hives with a 3 inch deck screw. Held the screw at the top and rubbed the threads in different directions. It worked good with minimal effort

[@beeamazzzinghives]

David, Thanks for using my question during this video. This is why I love Beekeeping. Some people just feel bees are just bugs in a box that make honey, but there is so much more and always something new to learn or consider for our own colonies.

[@beek]

Indeed. I love interacting with my followers in this way!

[@kellymoore4517]

Alot of wasted effort, the bees don't give a crap!

[@trutherjoe5286]

booooo

[@jeanninehazlehurst2095]

lt would be far more beneficial if we used unplaned wood to construct beehives. More economical too

[@T0tenkampf]

You've spoken to the bees?

[@Bougiebees]

In Latin a,e,I,o,u are pronounced exactly how the letter is said. Scientific terms are derived from Latin. So I would think it’s pronounced PROEPOELIS.

[@WaltersToyota-m1y]

A pressure washer will do the same thing.

[@framcesmoore]

David I am sorry people can be so critical of your videos at times. u sharing about the boxes and how to do it, saves people money the new box cost more money then just a plain Box. Thanks for sharing like u do God bless and have a good week

[@beek]

I don't view the comment "Old News" as critical but realistic. That's the same point I was trying to make in the video, that the idea of more propolis inside the hive on boxes is a very old concept and practice. Nonetheless, all of us who create videos inevitably draw both warranted and unwarranted criticism. I choose to remove offensive attacks and empathize with those who may be struggling with their mental well-being.

[@highroadinc]

who puts smoke detectors in a shop? Fine sawdust or shop vac exhaust would set them off

[@beek]

Correct, it is a heat detector.

[@kevinward7498]

If you take a coarse tooth new hacksaw blade and break off about a 2-inch long section of that and clamp it tightly in a set of vise grips you'll have a very effective wood scratching tool. Finer tooth hacksaw blades would make shallower scratches closer together of course, but it seems like you're going for very deep scratches. My new hive is coated with beeswax. Do you think I should scratch the beeswax, or scratch it mostly off as I scratch the wood, or just leave it as is?

[@beekeeperclint]

I forgot one more thing! It might be fun for the newbees, to do a few videos on which species of trees bees use to collect the most resin and how bees actually make the resin. Just a thought! Keep up the great content!

[@beek]

Many years ago I gave a keynote address on this very subject along with the compounds found in propolis, I'll see if I can repurpose that talk.

[@UKYak]

A very interesting segment at the beginning today Mr B. As an Englishman with a wife who is most definitely a grammar and pronunciation stickler, I, or rather she says it really depends upon your regional accents and pronunciation. All are correct and the world continues to turn. Love your content. Thank you

[@beek]

Thanks for sharing!

[@diannemiller4754]

I switched out my candy boards today after the horrible cold spell here in Michigan. Unfortunately one hive starved and froze. This is the hive that ate all of the honey be kind candy board with the first batch. They ate all the stores of honey too. I dismantled the dead hive. I put the wind break back up as we have several months to keep my other hive alive. I'm disappointed but encouraged about the second hive. They had about one forth candy left. I put a new board on and walked away. This week we are in the mid thirties. David, Do you think i could have put the board on while it was in the low temperatures? I believe both bees hives were alive on the 23rd (4 days ago). It was so cold my hens wouldn't come out of the coop to free range until yesterday. I'm trying to prepare for the next deep freeze I'm sure will come again. Thanks for all the help and information on your videos. 😊

[@beek]

For me, I have found it is better to place in a fresh Winter Bee Kind rather than wait for warmer days.

[@michaelgrossi3124]

Thanks for the video. I never heard of this

[@beek]

You're welcome

[@ericholbrook3062]

David , I do believe that one would benefit from using the drill and wire wheel before assembling the hive body , that way you can make sure it is roughed up all the way into the corners of the hive.

[@j.clarkhelton7883]

Using saw blade scrape across the wood grain to effectively fuzz the wood fibers.

[@willdelito8561]

OFF TOPIC. IS IT SAFE O OPEN HIVE @ 40 TO FEED A PATTY DUE TO WARMER WINTER, BEES GOING THRU STORES. I UNDERSTAND QUEEN STARTS TO LAY ON WINTER SOLSTICE AND DO'T WANT CHILLED BROOD.THANKS.

[@beek]

I replace my winter-bee-kinds at any temps. Do it quickly and do not life out frames. However, rather than a pollen patty I prefer to feed my bees a carbohydrates with alittle protein, than a protein patty. SHB overwinter with your bees will love to lay eggs in those patties as it warms up.

[@willdelito8561]

PATTIES ARE WHAT IS ON HAND, SO WANTED TO FEED EACH A PATTY TO SUPPLEMENT NOW AT 35-49 DEGREES. WON'T NEED WHEN IT WARMS UP AS CROCUSES AND MAPLES WILL BE OUT. HERE IN CT CROCUSES ARE SHOWING , MAPLE SAP FLOWING. THANKS FOR YOUR QUICK ANSWER. I WON'T BE USING PATTIES AFTER 2/10/24@@beek

[@shanepasha6501]

wire brush created a surface that might resemble the tree cavity.

[@beek]

Agreed

[@charlestrotter-xj3zs]

If you had access to a sandblaster, sandblasting, would give you the raise green onion on the wood

[@kentcostello5286]

Hay I do all of it because that's what I was touched.

[@kellymoore4517]

What?

[@willdelito8561]

DRAG SAW DIAGONALLY ACROSS GRAIN

[@thomasrape4616]

Just say it however you like, we know what your talking about.

[@j.clarkhelton7883]

According to Webster dictionary it's pronounced "prahpolis"

[@davelapp8412]

Old standards, get a new rebirth! In all sorts of topics!!!

[@beek]

This is so true.