Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Bush_84 on April 15, 2017, 11:59:59 am
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So I am attempting to build a pollen trap. I am using the plans off of beesource. That's the only good plans I could find. Most of that seems fairly easy. I already have the top, middle, and bottom piece all cut out. I just had a few minutes so none of the small pieces are cut. So my question is about hardware cloth. No issues with the small beeproof stuff or the large stuff on bottom. What is getting me is the 5 to the inch stuff. I have four to the inch stuff but not 5. Seems to me that bees can still get through that stuff snugly. Do I really need to track down this stuff?
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try it and see. just make it so that if it doe not work yu can cahnge it easly. look for it at mom and pop hardware stores. Most ACES will not have it . if you still can't find it. check with some on the forums to see if they can send you some folded to fit in a letter envolpe
john
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I may do just that. My guess is that the end result is a less efficient pollen trap. As long as I get some I'm not sure I'll stress that much. If it doesn't work then I'll tinker, which I enjoy anyways. So another question on the topic of pollen collecting. My general plan is to freeze and feed in early spring. Anybody care to share experiences with uses and feeding back? Should I make it into a patty and feed back as you would a pollen sub? Just toss it on newspaper and feed as is? Push into an old brood comb and put in hive?
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It never last that long around my house. its additive.
dry it before freezing. gets moldy and putty like when you thaw it.
I guest that after you frezze it you could use it as a additive to patties to refeed it to them.
check with MB and LJ they may know more on it. PM them.
john
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>Do I really need to track down this stuff?
Yes. http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshardwarecloth.htm
Everything in a pollen trap is very specific. You need the bees to go through #5 to dislodge the pollen. You need the pollen to fall through #7. Bees can get through #6 (barely) and pollen won't fall freely through #8. The bottom of the tray should be screen door screen (pollen won't fall through this at all and it needs to breath). You need to get the right sizes. My Ace Hardware can order it if they don't have it and they usually have it...
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>Do I really need to track down this stuff?
Yes. http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshardwarecloth.htm
Everything in a pollen trap is very specific. You need the bees to go through #5 to dislodge the pollen. You need the pollen to fall through #7. Bees can get through #6 (barely) and pollen won't fall freely through #8. The bottom of the tray should be screen door screen (pollen won't fall through this at all and it needs to breath). You need to get the right sizes. My Ace Hardware can order it if they don't have it and they usually have it...
I am curious.
What is the benefit of a pollen trap? Is it to catch some from each bee to be used for feeding later.
Does a pollen trap attract SHB and other pests?
Bruce
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>What is the benefit of a pollen trap? Is it to catch some from each bee to be used for feeding later.
Some people sell the pollen. I collect it to feed later, yes.
>Does a pollen trap attract SHB and other pests?
I don't have a lot of SHB issues here. So I don't know if I'm qualified to answer that. But if you have the screened tray the air dries the pollen pretty quickly, so I don't think so. Some larger ants sometimes go after the pollen in places in the South. I've never had an issue.
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Michael,
Thanks for your prompt answers.
Bruce
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>Do I really need to track down this stuff?
Yes. http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshardwarecloth.htm
Everything in a pollen trap is very specific. You need the bees to go through #5 to dislodge the pollen. You need the pollen to fall through #7. Bees can get through #6 (barely) and pollen won't fall freely through #8. The bottom of the tray should be screen door screen (pollen won't fall through this at all and it needs to breath). You need to get the right sizes. My Ace Hardware can order it if they don't have it and they usually have it...
Mr Bush, do you have pollen trap plans?
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Hello Capt, We have been missing you . Welcome back.
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Paus, that reply is In 2017, capt not back, yep, I wish he was too.
Van
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>Mr Bush, do you have pollen trap plans?
I don't have any pollen trap plans. Dee & Ed Lusby used to have a simple one they built and put on all their hives. It was just a window screen bottomed drawer under some #5 hardware cloth with one 3/8" hole above the hardware cloth to let some bees through and the drones out no other entrance so the bottleneck at the 3/8" hole would force some of the workers through the hardware cloth to get in. Some #7 will help keep the bees out of the pollen. Ants were her biggest problem...
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Thanks for your answer.
Phillip