الفهرس 
REVIEW OF LITERATUREOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
All beekeepers consider propolis as a bi -product of the hive, this is not entirely correct. Propolis is a precious gift of nature. Nowadays, propolis is a remarkable hive product.
In this investigation, the author studied propolis origin and source, effects of honeybee hybrids (F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian) monthly and seasonally on propolis weights. In addition, the chemical and heavy metals analyses have been also tested.
The present investigation has been carried out in a private apiary located at Abdel-Mawgoud village, Kom-Esho, Kafr-ElDawar, Behaira governorate. Twenty seven Langstroth hives and 3 hybrids of F1 Carniolan, Italian and Caucasian honeybees have been used. Nine hives were selected at random to represent each strain and these hives were divided into 3 groups, each group represented 3 replicates. Three methods of propolis collection were used for each replicate. Therefore, 27 treatments were running (3 groups X 3 strains X 3 methods of collection).
The obtained results could be summarized as follows:
1- Propolis origin and sources
Propolis has a two–form origin: (a) an internal one, that propolis comes from the first phase of pollen digestion by the bees and (b) an external origin, when forager bees harvest propolis from many crops and trees.
The natural sources of propolis in this study are Eucalyptus spp, Willow, Casuarina sp, Schinus spp. Acacia sp and few plums trees in addition to orchards of apple, pear, citrus and plums. Moreover, field and vegetables crops and weeds were also good sources of propolis.
2. Effects of the studied strains in different months, seasons of each year and methods of collecting propolis
In both years of this study (2004 &2005), results of months, seasons and methods were combined together to avoid repetition as indicated here under:
2.1. Monthly and seasonally weights of collected propolis by each honeybee strain, of the year 2004, using a sharp knife (2004)
The monthly mean amounts of propolis in the year of 2004 were 7.70, 8.13 and 9.73 g/colony for the strains F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, in respect. The heaviest weight of propolis was gathered by the F1 Caucasian strain followed by the F1 Italian, while the F1 Carniolan strain collected the lowest quantity of propolis.
Regarding to the seasonal weights of propolis in the same year (2004), they were 23.10, 24.40 and 29.18, g/colony, on average, for the abovementioned strains, respectively. It has been observed that all the studied honeybee hybrids collected more propolis in Autumn season. There were significant differences either among the months or seasons of the year.
2.2. Monthly and seasonally weights of propolis by each honeybee strain, of the year 2005, using a sharp knife
The monthly mean weights of propolis collected by F1 Carniolan were (6.57 g/colony), by F1 Italian (7.58 g/colony) and by F1 Caucasian (8.99 g/colony). Amounts of propolis could be arranged in a descending order as follows: F1 Caucasian > F1 Italian> F1 Carniolan.
The seasonal mean quantities of propolis were 19.42, 26.97 and 29.12 g/colony for F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, in sequence: hence the autumn season witnessed the heaviest amounts of propolis for all the studied honeybee hybrids. Similarly, there were significant variations either among months or seasons of the year 2005.
2.3. Monthly and seasonally weights of collected propolis by each honeybee strain, of the year 2004, using soft silk sheets
It was noticed that monthly mean weights of collected propolis were 8.76, 10 and 12.22 g/colony for F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, subsequently. The month of September showed the utmost amounts of propalis, i.e. 12.10, 13.30 and 15.70 g/colony, on average, for F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, in sequence. The mean lowest amounts were 4.00, 5.30 and 7.10 g/ colony for the same hybrids, respectively, in the month of January.
For the seasons of the year of 2004, it was found that the mean amounts of collected propolis were 26.23, 30.48 and 36.70 g/colony for F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, in respect. It was peculiar that each strain collected the greater propolis weights of 33.90, 38.60 and 46.50 g/colony, on average, for the same hybrids, successively during Autumn and the lowest quantities were referred to Winter. Statistical analysis showed significant differences among months and seasons but there were no variations among the seasons of Summer and Autumn for all the studied honeybee hybrids.
2.4. Monthly and seasonally weights of collected propolis (g/colony) by each honeybee strain, of the year 2005 using soft silk sheets
The data indicated that the monthly mean amounts of collected propolis were 7.95, 9.28 and 11.42 g/colony for F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, in respect. It has been noticed that the highest quaintly of propolis was brought by F1 Caucasian followed by F1 Italian then F1 Caucasian. All the honeybee hybrids collected the biggest amounts of propolis in the month of September, but the lowest ones in January.
It was found also that the mean seasonal amounts of propolis included the values of 23.85, 27.80 and 34.25 g/colony for F1 Carniolan, F1 Italian and F1 Caucasian, successively. Each honeybee hybrid collected excess of propolis in the Autumn