pollen on sale thru ebay

[rookie2531]

I have been feeding pollen substitute and found real pollen on eBay. Like 5 lbs, 3lbs. For like 50 bucks.


  My question is, can this stuff spread disease? like I have read about not using other hive honey to feed your bees. What about the pollen?

[Jim134]

     Yes it can spread AFB by using natural pollen unless you are absolutely sure of it's source . All the big manufacturers of pollen patties that use natural pollen radiates it.



                       BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[BeeMaster2]

Rookie,
The bigger the company is that makes the pollen is the better the chance that they are treating for American Foul Brood on a continuous basis. This makes for a great source of AFB and is why we never feed our bees honey from any source but our own bees.
Jim

[rookie2531]

I was just thinking real would be better than substitute, but not wanting to risk Afb at all, Thanks

So, this would also go for anything they consume, like those pollen patties?

I have read that some ingredients are pollen and honey mixed with substitute.

[rdy-b]

     Yes it can spread AFB by using natural pollen unless you are absolutely sure of it's source . All the big manufacturers of pollen patties that use natural pollen radiates it.



                       BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

AFB is a brood disease spread by sporelalion -which needs exact environment conditions to BLOOM
it has nothing to do with pollen--however chalk-brood--sac brood and others  are in the group that are spread buy FUNGIS
these are the whats going to put a frown on your face not AFB transmiion-by pollen

[Jim134]

AFB Has a vegetative state at the beginning which grows into a sporing state .
EFB Has only a vegetative state.

European and American Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies: Part 1
http://youtu.be/05tCHtUyNHM

European and American Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies: Part 2
http://youtu.be/wyiaV222JoQ


                       BEE HAPPY  Jim 134 :)

[rdy-b]

OAKYDOK- i have some time now to get back to this disunion about AFB being transferred though trapped pollen---if Im of the mark
let me know--trapped pollen is collected by a foraging bee -pollen is formed into a basket (buy means of secreted enzymes and many say honey is the secretion )which the bee forms the pollen into the basket of the hind leg carried by the bee  -so the question is
dose the foraging bee cary honey from the hive(which would contain the AFB spores )or is it collected from fresh nectar on the foraging run the bee is making--my point is that AFB is not a contagious  factor from foraging bees---I support this by swarm capture -which is  most pure of the colony that has cast the swarmWE DONT get AFB from swrms - many say swarms are a cleansing of the colony and gives a brood break for parasites and viruses--so we dont get AFB from swarms DO we-with that being said there are also so many types of foraging collected fungi --virus type infections
that are been
 found out about today from the research pointing toward CCD it has opened a greater view to many old problems--tobacco leave viruses not only affects the plant but is transmitted to foraging insects-this viruses is not only subsitibul
to tabaco but
--it is found in honey bees that have foraged on plants that have  caught this viruses from other insects that vector these virus- so the BIG PICTURE is should pollen be IRRADIATED --HECK YES--but is AFB the reason not so sure about that--- I think we are just know learnig what we have been seening for years-RDY-B

[BeeMaster2]

Dry-b,
I agree that the problem is not from the pollen that is being removed from the returning bees, it is from all of the material that is being dropped into the pollen trap from the bees that are exiting the hive.
Jim

[rdy-b]

 Hive trash would be a contender yes-but back to what it takes to get the AFB spores to sporulate (hatching of these spores needs exact
 environment conditions that can be found in a live colony of bees ) I suppose it is possible for spores from hive trash to contaminate anything.
Many people say you can get AFB from a hive tool-A extractor--exct----
It is possible to build these types of models in theory-i suppose that they actually happen from time to time
Here is what i see in a working bee-yard-the Hives that are sick whether AFB or any mite related viruses-are  the Hives that dont preform
as a functioning field force and are in collapse any way-they are just not bring back the pollen ---so we have all seen this going through
 our own hives-easy to spot the problem hives -they simply dont prefome -they are starting -or are well under way of collapse
commercial keepers dont resupper this hives-they-remove the pollen trap and place it on a thriving hive---
dont get me wrong on the topic of IRRADIATING POLLEN im for it-I just think that anybody that says they got AFB from trapped pollen they
had purchased is a cop out to bigger problems that are much closer to the keepers methods than they will admit--RDY-B