Are There Many Pollen Enthusiast Here?

[Ben Framed]

Are there many pollen enthusiast here?  Are you a pollen eater? Do you collect your own pollen? What type of pollen traps do you all use? How much pollen do you collect each year for yourselves and family? Do you have a certain goal of a pollen amount you wish to collect each season? Do you sell pollen?

[Oldbeavo]

No, No, No, No, No
Never went into Autumn with too much pollen, all gone over Winter. The bees manage to use it all, so why am I going to steal it.
Unless the bees have a black market in pollen that I don't know about.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks for your reply Oldbeavo, from what I understand some pollen traps collect anywhere form 40 to 60 percent of pollen brought in. If I have my ducks in a row and that is correct, wouldn't that mean the bees will continue to bring pollen in until they have their quota filled for their needs? 

[Robo]

I sure could use some pollen traps this year.  I have never seen anything like it.  I have quite a few hives that are pollen bound in the brood nest.   Today I can across a 5 frame nuc with a complete frame packed with polled.  I usually struggle to find good pollen frames for cell starters, but not this year.

[Ben Framed]

I sure could use some pollen traps this year.  I have never seen anything like it.  I have quite a few hives that are pollen bound in the brood nest.   Today I can across a 5 frame nuc with a complete frame packed with polled.  I usually struggle to find good pollen frames for cell starters, but not this year.

Robo I read an article by the fellow that owns ross rounds, (Lloyd), that went something like this:

He manufactures Sundance Pollen Traps, a wire mesh design that collects the pollen. He said he has made thousand of these and ships them all over the world.  They use of number 5 hardware cloth that bees can readily pass through. He believes that 40 to 60 percent of the pollen will be removed for the legs and very little from the bees body, leaving the rest for the bees. He says he uses 7 mesh for the pollen to fall through to the pollen holder on the bottom. Allowing pollen to fall through, yet keeping bees out. He says some use 8 mesh for this but 8 will not let bigger pieces of pollen fall freely through. I am telling this to say that I would like to build a few pollen traps myself. Though I know nothing about the design of the Sundance trap, I think I can come up with something that will work. We will see. lol

[Robo]

I do have a couple sundance traps and they work fairly well.   Collecting pollen is a whole different ballgame and requires much more frequent visits to the bee yards than I have time for.   I usually only use them to collect pollen for queen rearing.

[CoolBees]

I just saw this thread Phillip.

My main nectar flow is not that strong, but my bees cram boxes full of pollen during the summer. So ...

I began collecting pollen last year using this one from betterbee. https://www.betterbee.com/pollen-collection/ptrap1-anatomic-pollen-trap.asp

This year I added 2 of these from mannlake. https://www.mannlakeltd.com/8-frame-superior-pollen-trap

Both work. Last you I got 2 quarts of pollen off the betterbee trap, with intermittent use.

I've gotten about 3 quarts so far off of 1 hive with the mannlake trap. The 2nd mannlake trap has netted nothing - I think there might be something wrong with it (I've tried it on 2 hives so far).

I think with beekeeping - you harvest what the bees want to (or can) bring in. In my case - it seems to be pollen, more than honey.

[CoolBees]

Of the 2 traps that I've used, the mannlake trap is much higher quality. The other will break very quickly I think.

[Ben Framed]

I just saw this thread Phillip.

My main nectar flow is not that strong, but my bees cram boxes full of pollen during the summer. So ...

I began collecting pollen last year using this one from betterbee. https://www.betterbee.com/pollen-collection/ptrap1-anatomic-pollen-trap.asp

This year I added 2 of these from mannlake. https://www.mannlakeltd.com/8-frame-superior-pollen-trap

Both work. Last you I got 2 quarts of pollen off the betterbee trap, with intermittent use.

I've gotten about 3 quarts so far off of 1 hive with the mannlake trap. The 2nd mannlake trap has netted nothing - I think there might be something wrong with it (I've tried it on 2 hives so far).

I think with beekeeping - you harvest what the bees want to (or can) bring in. In my case - it seems to be pollen, more than honey.

Thanks for the helpful information Alan.  I agree, as the bees are bringing in a surplus of pollen you are wise, in my opinion to accept what they offer. I will check out the links that you posted. Again thanks.

[Ben Framed]

Alan (CoolBees), I thank you for posting your traps. I ordered 2 like your Better Bee examples straight from China, winter before last. My bees could not get through the entrance holes. I think I know why. During a conversation here, either HoneyPump or Mr Van mentioned something about the smaller Asian bee. I feel like the traps that I ordered were most likely designed for that bee, thus the reason my bees could not enter. I was disappointed. The second trap that you have shown from Mann Lake looks good also. I wonder if the pollen collecting screen may be damaged on you second one that does not produce?

[Robo]

I also have both the traps coolbees has and agree the mannlake is much higher qualitiy, but it should be for 5x the cost.   I did find a good use to the plastic ones from betterbee though.   I cut one down and sectioned it back together to fit a 5-frame nuc.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks for all your replies.
I wonder what the bigger outfits use? Examples TheHoneyPump, (Oldbeavos black market bees pollen 😁lol), Iddee, Mike Palmer, Richard Noel, Michale Bush etc.