We’ve all heard the saying ‘busy bees’ …but what about ‘brainy bees’?

These clever little insects are also responsible for making Propolis – the ingredient bees use to protect their hives  Legend has it that the Egyptians used Propolis, honey and other resins to mummify their pharaohs preserving them, as far as possible, for the next life!

As well as producing a purely functional role in sealing and reinforcing the hive, Propolis also performs the role of immune system for the hive keeping it sterile and free of microbial invaders.

But don’t just take our word for it! Being made up of waxes, resins, fatty acids and even amino acids, Aristotle reputedly coined the name Propolis meaning "defender of the city". And it's because of Propolis that it is assumed bees are the only living organism that are absolutely bacteria free – amazing!

Propolis is the glue-type substance which bees use to sterilise and seal parts of their hive, protecting it from bacterial, viral and fungal infections.  It starts life as the sticky resinous sap which seeps from the buds and bark of various trees. The bees gather this resin and carry it back to their hive where it is blended with wax flakes and enzymes to create Propolis.

What’s so great about Propolis is that it has antioxidant properties as it is rich in flavonoids - powerful, free-radical scavengers. When free radicals are in excess they can be problematic to our health so anti-oxidants play a major part in our body's health.

While the bees deserve most of the credit for producing Propolis we should also thank the bee-keepers of olden days.  After all, if they hadn’t recommended keeping a piece of Propolis in the mouth as a remedy for a dry tickly throat, we might never have discovered it!

Find out more about our Manuka honey & Propolis range by visiting our products section.