How much propolis can a colony collect in one year?
- About 5 kg to 15 kg per colony per year.
- About 50 g to 150 g per colony per year.
- About 500 g to 1.5 kg per colony per year.
Show answer
Correct answer: 2.
About 50 g to 150 g per colony per year.
Why?
Propolis is a marginal harvest by weight compared with nectar, pollen or water. In most cases, a colony collects about 50 g to 150 g per year.
Only a small proportion of the foragers collect the plant resins that will be used to produce propolis. These resins are carried in the baskets of the hind legs, then unloaded in the hive with the help of other bees.
The quantity varies greatly according to the genetics of the bees, the plant environment, the state of the hive, the presence of cracks to be sealed and the harvesting method used by the beekeeper.
What to understand
Bees do not use propolis as a food store. They employ it mainly to seal, to reduce gaps, to stabilise certain elements of the hive and to contribute to the internal hygiene of the colony.
Collecting it is demanding. The bee must take a sticky resin from buds, bark or other plant surfaces, work it with its mandibles, then load it gradually onto its legs.
Some lines or races of bees propolise more than others. The Caucasian is often cited as particularly given to propolising, but the quantities remain very dependent on the local context.
Key points
A realistic indicative benchmark is about 50 g to 150 g of propolis per colony per year.
Higher harvests are possible, but they do not represent the average situation of an ordinary apiary.
Propolis is small in quantity but important for the colony: it contributes to the sealing, the stability and the hygiene of the nest.
Further reading
► Propolis
► Practical Guide: 4.1.1 Propolis in the colony