Seasonal Dynamics, Botanical Origin, and Yield of Apis mellifera Propolis in the Mexican Altiplano: Influence of Precipitation, Phenology, and Harvesting Methods

Propolis yield and composition fluctuate with environmental factors and hive management. In a two-year longitudinal study (2022–2024), we evaluated the seasonal dynamics of propolis production across two apiaries in the Mexican Altiplano during the dry and rainy seasons. We conducted monthly harvesting using three collector types: black polyurethane collectors (G1), beige polyurethane collectors (G2), and flexible polyethylene mosquito mesh (G3), distributed among 24 standardized Apis mellifera colonies (n = 8 per treatment; 576 repeated monthly harvests). Palynological analysis identified 39 species belonging to 38 genera and 23 families, with a clear predominance of herbaceous and ruderal forms (Brassica rapa as the main pollen type). The overall mean yield was 9.02 ± 0.58 g/colony/month. Linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) revealed significant temporal variation by month (F11,231 = 28.45, p < 0.001) and season (F1,21 = 14.12, p = 0.001). Propolis biomass showed a clear bimodal pattern, peaking in April (20.25 g/colony) during vegetative bud burst, dropping in July (6.25 g/colony), and rebounding in September–October (9.77–9.92 g/colony), coinciding with leaf senescence and pre-winter nest sealing. Monthly production showed a moderate negative linear correlation with cumulative precipitation (r = −0.422, p = 0.040, R2 = 0.178). Conversely, collector design did not result in statistically significant differences in harvested biomass (G1: 6.88 g, G2: 8.98 g, G3: 11.21 g; F2,21 = 2.14, p = 0.142). These findings demonstrate that propolis collection in the Mexican Altiplano is primarily synchronized with regional plant phenology and constrained by precipitation regimes rather than collector design. Consequently, the practical selection of harvesting devices should be guided by operational handling efficiency, economic cost, and raw product cleanliness, rather than expectations of higher quantitative yield.