Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!  (Read 3116 times)

Offline saltybluegrass

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 445
  • Gender: Male
  • My Bible is living with bee energy one desire
NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« on: September 17, 2019, 12:41:26 pm »
So my fine wife of 35 years had now stumbled upon the benefits of pollen. She wants to focus less on honey remedies and seek pollen remedies.
My boxes have a ?pollen tray? that I can slide in above the screen BB. Wouldn?t this also trap a lot of crap along with the pollen ? How do you separate it
Do you farm pollen or leave it to the babes for health reasons?
« Last Edit: September 17, 2019, 01:21:53 pm by saltybluegrass »
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Then all else falls in line
It?s up to me

Offline Fishing-Nut

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 338
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2019, 03:58:28 pm »
I know a guy that collects and sells some pollen that he collects with pollen traps on his hives. He said it's full of health benefits.  He gave me a jar. To me it tasted like crap and I'd rather leave it to the bees. If I ever get to a point that I want some more I think I'd just buy it. Its definitely something that some people do though.  It just ain't for me  :wink:
 
Take a kid fishing !

Offline Mamm7215

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 74
  • Gender: Male
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2019, 07:28:03 pm »
You're better off just not fine-screening your honey.  The pollen left in the honey will be all she would ever need and still get the benefit of honey.  Pollen by itself is more a gimmick than anything for humans.

Offline van from Arkansas

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1900
  • Gender: Male
  • Van from Arkansas.
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2019, 07:52:18 pm »
Fish, sounds like you tasted Bitterweed pollen, very orange, and very bitter.  Clover pollen is light tan to blonde and has completely different taste.

If you tasted the pollen then were spitting it out immediately, that is bitterweed, beautiful deep orange and tase; spitting out awful.

Van
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline van from Arkansas

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1900
  • Gender: Male
  • Van from Arkansas.
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2019, 08:40:03 pm »
Salty, if your Wife has put up with you for 35 years, she is definitely a FLOWER in the garden of Ladies.  I?ll bet she is a real jewel like my wife:  Put,s up with me and my bees.
Van
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline saltybluegrass

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 445
  • Gender: Male
  • My Bible is living with bee energy one desire
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2019, 12:44:33 am »
Salty, if your Wife has put up with you for 35 years, she is definitely a FLOWER in the garden of Ladies.  I?ll bet she is a real jewel like my wife:  Put,s up with me and my bees.
Van

They?ve already knitted her wings
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Then all else falls in line
It?s up to me

Offline Ben Framed

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 12403
  • Mississippi Zone 7
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2019, 01:32:19 am »
From what I have read and studied on pollen, it has every known vitamin and mineral, anti oxiden, amino acid, that the body requires. The most complete nautral vitamin source available.  Is this a gimmick as Mamm7215 said?  I really do not know.  I do know that it taste good in a shake!! :cool:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2019, 08:02:59 am »
If you are serious about collecting pollen, the first step is to convert them to a top entrance and block the bottom entrance.  When the bees are used to that, the second is to buy a Sundance II top entrance pollen trap.  The pollen is so much cleaner in these and the trap is cheaper and simpler.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline saltybluegrass

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 445
  • Gender: Male
  • My Bible is living with bee energy one desire
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2019, 08:35:13 am »
Michael, does it come down to robbing them though? Do they double the effort if they see they are coming home short of pollen goals?  Or does it stress them ?
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Then all else falls in line
It?s up to me

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2019, 10:36:53 am »
>Michael, does it come down to robbing them though?

Robbing bees is how we get honey or pollen or propolis...

>Do they double the effort if they see they are coming home short of pollen goals?

Yes.  The Sundance lets half the pollen through (it unloads one basket per trip and lets one through).

> Or does it stress them ?

Everything stresses them.  Certainly a pollen trap does.  They have to squeeze through a space so tight that they lose half their pollen... One of the advantages of the Sundance is that the workers usually quickly learn to go out the drone escapes which they don't have to squeeze through at all, and then, because they can't figure them out, they go back through the pollen trap.  So the Sundance doesn't deprive them of pollen, they just have to work twice as hard to get it and it doesn't wear them out both coming and going, but just coming.  There are feedback mechnisms to motivate the pollen foragers and to slow them down when there is too much pollen.  These are driven by juvenile pheromones from the open brood and by the response of the house bees to the pollen.  If they need more pollen they continue to encourage the pollen foragers.  If they don't, then they ignore the pollen foragers.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline CoolBees

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1397
  • Gender: Male
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2019, 12:28:34 pm »
Salty - I started collecting Pollen this year. I used the $20 pollen trap from Better Bee (I think). Worked great. I got more pollen than I expected.

I place the trap on for 3 days, and remove it for 4 days, each week. The hive needs pollen. A quick check of the brood nest showed lots of stored pollen after 4 weeks of trapping. So, they are getting enough.

Mr Bush's recommendation of the top entrance for cleaner pollen makes a lot of sense to me.

My daughter began studying the health benefits of pollen - its really amazing! ... so she stole my entire crop from this year, and claimed ownership  :grin:

How much pollen is in your area, and what types, will vary widely with location - there's a Lot where I am - but maybe not somewhere else. So you definitely want to be checking to make sure they have plenty inside - from time to time. My opinion.
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Offline Troutdog

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 140
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2019, 01:42:43 pm »
3 days on 4 days off?
Sounds like your asking for trouble. 1 day a week for me tops.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


Offline van from Arkansas

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1900
  • Gender: Male
  • Van from Arkansas.
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2019, 02:36:06 pm »
Salty - I started collecting Pollen this year. I used the $20 pollen trap from Better Bee (I think). Worked great. I got more pollen than I expected.

I place the trap on for 3 days, and remove it for 4 days, each week. The hive needs pollen. A quick check of the brood nest showed lots of stored pollen after 4 weeks of trapping. So, they are getting enough.

Mr Bush's recommendation of the top entrance for cleaner pollen makes a lot of sense to me.

My daughter began studying the health benefits of pollen - its really amazing! ... so she stole my entire crop from this year, and claimed ownership  :grin:

How much pollen is in your area, and what types, will vary widely with location - there's a Lot where I am - but maybe not somewhere else. So you definitely want to be checking to make sure they have plenty inside - from time to time. My opinion.

Mr. Cool, gotta luv the kids, good for your daughter, you compassionate Dad you.

Van
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2019, 02:48:14 pm »
If you really want the health benefits of pollen, you should use some bee bread to innoculate it and add some honey and let it ferment into bee bread.  Not only is the bee bread more digestable than pollen, but the fungus that lives in it has nutritional value as well.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline van from Arkansas

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1900
  • Gender: Male
  • Van from Arkansas.
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #14 on: September 18, 2019, 05:51:59 pm »
Mr. Bush, what you say makes perfect sense: inoculate the pollen, add honey.  The microbes can break down indigestible pollen parts into digestible products  for people.  Now why did I not think of that......... don?t answer,,,,,don?t answer.
Blessings
Van
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline CoolBees

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1397
  • Gender: Male
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #15 on: September 19, 2019, 04:35:48 pm »
3 days on 4 days off?
Sounds like your asking for trouble. 1 day a week for me tops.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I'm fairly new at this, so if I'm doing something wrong - I would love to be educated properly. With that said, my bees can fill 2 deeps with bee bread. From May to October there is little or no nectar flow, but pollen seems endless during the same time frame. So, for reasons that I don't understand, my girls backfill the entire hive with pollen/bee bread during the summer. Last fall I pulled 10 frames of bee bread out of 1 hive and scraped it off, just to give the queen room going into the flow. (Our flow starts in October here).

It is my theory, (having not read any guidelines on this topic) that they only need 4-6 full frames of bee bread/pollen at any given time - especially when there is no flow, and limited brood rearing.

So, I robbed pollen 3-4 days per week this summer, on 1 hive, and kept an eye on pollen stores. They weren't able to completely backfill the hive this time, but their stores of pollen never went down either.

I don't figure this strategy would work in another area - I'm definitely interested in learning if I did something wrong.
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Offline CoolBees

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1397
  • Gender: Male
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2019, 04:37:40 pm »
If you really want the health benefits of pollen, you should use some bee bread to innoculate it and add some honey and let it ferment into bee bread.  Not only is the bee bread more digestable than pollen, but the fungus that lives in it has nutritional value as well.

Mr Bush - I like the sound of that, but I have a question (for anyone): How do you go about harvesting Bee Bread in order to accomplish the above recipe?
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #17 on: September 19, 2019, 05:28:04 pm »
As far as boxes of pollen I would move them to the bottom.  That tends to be where the bees put it and it won't get in the way over winter as they overwinter in the top box, but they will have pollen to build up on in the spring.  If you have more than one deep box full of pollen, give it to a colony that doesn't have much.  It's kind of ideal to have a box full of pollen in a hive come spring.

As far as bee bread to innoculate, you can just scrape some off, as you apparently are already doing for other purposes.  A few cocoons won't hurt anything.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline CoolBees

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1397
  • Gender: Male
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #18 on: September 19, 2019, 05:43:58 pm »
As far as boxes of pollen I would move them to the bottom.  That tends to be where the bees put it and it won't get in the way over winter as they overwinter in the top box, but they will have pollen to build up on in the spring.  If you have more than one deep box full of pollen, give it to a colony that doesn't have much.  It's kind of ideal to have a box full of pollen in a hive come spring.

As far as bee bread to innoculate, you can just scrape some off, as you apparently are already doing for other purposes.  A few cocoons won't hurt anything.

Thank you Sir. I'll give that a try.
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Offline Ben Framed

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 12403
  • Mississippi Zone 7
Re: NOW She wants POLLEN!!!
« Reply #19 on: September 20, 2019, 02:12:13 am »
3 days on 4 days off?
Sounds like your asking for trouble. 1 day a week for me tops.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I'm fairly new at this, so if I'm doing something wrong - I would love to be educated properly. With that said, my bees can fill 2 deeps with bee bread. From May to October there is little or no nectar flow, but pollen seems endless during the same time frame. So, for reasons that I don't understand, my girls backfill the entire hive with pollen/bee bread during the summer. Last fall I pulled 10 frames of bee bread out of 1 hive and scraped it off, just to give the queen room going into the flow. (Our flow starts in October here).

It is my theory, (having not read any guidelines on this topic) that they only need 4-6 full frames of bee bread/pollen at any given time - especially when there is no flow, and limited brood rearing.

So, I robbed pollen 3-4 days per week this summer, on 1 hive, and kept an eye on pollen stores. They weren't able to completely backfill the hive this time, but their stores of pollen never went down either.

I don't figure this strategy would work in another area - I'm definitely interested in learning if I did something wrong.

I do not know what is proper gathering time either, add my name to this for desired education.   :grin:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

anything