Australian Native Bee Propolis

What is the difference between the native Australian Propolis compared to the commercial Honey Bee Propolis currently available in the market?

1. The bees are different therefore the product is different

Honey bees have a limited use for propolis, and only collect mainly resin from one or two species of trees, mostly poplar and pines – mainly to seal up and sanitise the hive.

Native bees use it extensively and build all the structures in the hive with it. As they have multiple uses for it they also collect a wide range of resins, also bud oils, plant sap, etc. Research has shown that the more diverse their habitat, the more diverse the resins that they collect.  This leads to a much higher chemical complexity and medi-density in the propolis, and also shows in the dark colour of the propolis vs the lighter honey bee propolis.  This is similar in honey where darker honey contains higher bio activity levels than light honey.

Native bees prefer to live in native forests and we take care to place our hives in diverse rain forests to ensure the high chemical potency and diversity of resins that they desire. Commercial quantities of honey bee propolis are typically harvested from professionally managed colonies.  These colonies are regularly moved from one mono crop to another which greatly reduces their ability to collect a range of resins that they would normally access.

 2. The raw propolis is processed differently

Honey bee propolis is manufactured in a rather aggressive extraction process. The raw propolis is extracted in a 100% alcohol solvent at high temperature, dried and milled into a powder.  Thereafter it is normally mixed with petro-chemical based propylene glycol to produce an ‘alcohol free’ extract.

Native Australian propolis is manufactured in a unique medi-friendly manner, in a single natural process using an organically certified vegetable based excipient, under moderate temperature to contain the volatile essential oils.

3. Bio-activity, traceability and taste

Bio-activity: extensive lab testing has shown that our native bee propolis has up to double the total phenolic content per gram of raw propolis compared to honey bee propolis extracts.

Native Australian propolis is fully traceable - all our propolis comes from our own hives all kept in pristine Australian native gardens, rainforests and bushland and all our propolis is fully traceable back to the hives where it comes from.

Taste: The native Australian propolis tastes natural, like a forest, compared to the commercial honey bee propolis that has a harsh and un-natural chemical taste to it.

4. It works

Our product has been extensively tested by people for various ailments and with great results.

 Wild Bee is a member of the Australian Native Bee Association