methods of pollen collection

[Vinman]

Hi all.
Collected from two hives the other week, and later noticed about four frames loaded with mostly pollen. Is there a conventional method to use for extracting this pollen?
It is sitting in the freezer right now. If I cant get the pollen out Im thinking of hanging on to them until early next spring, and see if they can forage enough to refill the 2nd brood for winter.

Not sure if the bees can still use the pollen frames if previously frozen. I do have a pollen extractor which I havent had the nerve to use yet, not wanting to weaken the hive.

[Tim Vaughan]

Keep them in the freezer and they should be fine for next year. They'll spoil otherwise.

[Michael Bush]

>Is there a conventional method to use for extracting this pollen?

No.

>It is sitting in the freezer right now. If I cant get the pollen out Im thinking of hanging on to them until early next spring, and see if they can forage enough to refill the 2nd brood for winter.

You can give them back to them on a warm day in February and they will be appreciated by the bees. Keep them frozen until then.

>Not sure if the bees can still use the pollen frames if previously frozen.

Freezing will help preserve the pollen and will not harm it.

>I do have a pollen extractor which I havent had the nerve to use yet, not wanting to weaken the hive.

You mean a pollen trap? If it is properly designed it will not weaken the hive. Just make sure they have pollen stores and open it up if they run out of stores of pollen.

[Hook]

The pollen trap will not weaken your hive that much. What I do is put it on a hive for a week, and then put it on another hive. The pollen trap will not remove all of the pollen from the bees, but it will stimulate the bees to collect more. I agree that it should not be left on all year, but some here and some there will not hurt.

[Joel]

In many areas pollen traps strenghen a hive because in areas like ours the brood nest becomes pollen bound and severly limits brood. We consistently see that our hive with pollen traps produce more honey than those without.

[MichaelW]

I would think that would be true throught the east. I often see way more pollen then necessary in the my hives. And people talk of hives becoming pollen bound around here.