[Video] Discovering Propolis in a Bee Tree

We took a trip to Ames, Iowa, to discover how bees live naturally in tree cavities.

Our friend, Ben Hoksch, of the Front Yard Sugar Co. guided us through his collection of abandoned bee trees. What we found by looking inside these hallowed-out tree cavities was pretty remarkable.

Our interest in bee trees was sparked by the research of Drs. Marla Spivak and Mike Simone-Finstrom on the benefits of propolis to honey bee colonies. It was their research which led to the creation of the Propola hive — the Langstroth hive body with roughened interior surfaces to encourage the formation of a propolis envelope.

It’s the rough hive for a tough hive.

Enjoy watching our adventure in exploring how bees live naturally!