For anyone that lives in an area with parasite and/or pathogen problems have you ever considered roughing the inside of your brood chamber so the bees smooth it out with propolis to see if that helps with pathogen loads and improves colony health?
I’m browsing an article on traditional Kenyan log hives and this comment is made:
For example, colonies in Log hives may exhibit the lower parasite and pathogen loads, since previous studies found that bees in hives with rough interiors are more likely to coat the walls with propolis, which has known antimicrobial properties, resulting in reduced pathogen loads (Simone-Finstrom and Spivak 2012; Simone-Finstrom et al. 2010; Simone et al. 2009). Colonies with reduced parasite and pathogen loads may be less stressed, resulting in lower absconding rates, thereby also increasing the amount of honey available for beekeepers (Fletcher 1978; Hepburn and Radloff 1998).