Propolis is a sticky, resinous compound that bees used for many purposes, including sealing cracks to keep out drafts.

Propolis is sometimes called bee glue and they produce it by mixing saliva, wax and sticky tree sap.

Checking the hives this afternoon, we spotted that one colony of bees has almost completely sealed up their entrance – leaving just a small entry/exit hole in the middle.

This reduced entrance will help the bees keep the hive warm through the winter and also makes it easier for them to defend their honey stores from any robbing bees or wasps they might try to steal it.