Pollen trap from Brushy Mountain

[Flewster]

I bought a pollen trap from brushy mountain and put it on today (had to modify as I make 24" bottom boards) I bought the plastic one and it seems to be working OK..has anyone else used it and what are your results?

------------------
You have to stop and smell the roses......but please watch out for my bees.

[olddrone]

In my humble opinion, this is a piece of junk! I bought one, so have some experience.

Very hard to get 'bee tight' to the hive. If a tiny opening is left, all bees will use it and avoid the trap.

Any rain or even a heavy dew makes the pollen turn to mush...and then makes cleaning it out a major chore.

Drone escape doesn't really work...or if it does, all the bees use it to avoid the trap.

There's more...but I think I wasted $25-$30, that would have been better spent buying a 'real' trap.

[Flewster]

After using it I think your right.....besides i make my own hives and my bottom boards are 24 inches long.....Anyways after having it on two days the bees go9t real angry and came after me...not good in town....took it off and they all calmed down again like before......JUNK

------------------
You have to stop and smell the roses......but please watch out for my bees.

[Michael Bush]

I've never seen a pollen trap that the bees LIKE. They hate them all. How would you like to squeeze through a mesh that causes you to lose all the pollen you just worked so hard to collect? and the traffic jam!

[sugar bandit #2]

Are there any pollen traps you all prefer?

[jfischer]

> How would you like to squeeze through a mesh that causes you
> to lose all the pollen you just worked so hard to collect?

A properly-designed pollen trap only knocks off one of the
bee's two pollen pellets. This should be obvious to even the
casual observer, as without pollen, the hive cannot raise
brood and will die out.

> and the traffic jam!

Things settle down after a few hours into a very efficient
entrance flow, no detectable difference from a hive not
equipped with a pollen trap, or the same hive with the trap
"open".

I'm a big fan of Lloyd Spear's Sundance pollen traps.
I've tried everything else, and it is all crap in my view.

[olddrone]

Like Fischer, I like the Sundance traps. After 3-5 days the bees readily accept them, drones have an easy exit (but can't get back in), pollen can be collected without protection, they seem to have every possible protection from rain, and the pollen is unbelievably clean.

[Jack Grimshaw]

I also think Lloyds trap the best but I would be wary of using it in the fall.Right now we've got 2 weeks or less to pack the hives for winter in CT.Unless I had excess pollen in frames,I would let the bees save all they can for next Feb. Jack

[mrbillz]

I vote for the Sundance as well- I varnished mine to enhance it's weatherability- Only problem was that it pretty effectively "killed" my colony- Probably my fault- I put it on my strongest colony in the early spring and tried to turn it off 1 week out of 2-3, but that colony just dwindled, especially after swarming. Eventually had to combine this fall. So, when and for how long do you use them? It was really interesting to watch (and taste) the different types of pollens that came in and compare to what was blooming- I think I didn't realize the importance of pollen to rearing brood until too late.

[jfischer]

I've left pollen traps in place and "on"
as long as a month, and have yet to see
a colony dwindle as a result.

If you are not concerned about drones being
able to return to the hive once they leave,
the pollen trap should certainly reduce the
amount of pollen brought in by half, but
the bees will react to "need" or "demand"
by recuriting more pollen foragers.

As for the drones, you can find them hanging
out on the bottom board (below the pollen
trap) bumming a snack and a spare cigarette
from passing worker bees.

[shoefly]

There are hot bees - but haven't seen any smoking drones...

[Roundman]

Hi everybody
I had a cc pollen trap on for my first go at it. I also learned that they will collect pollen according to their needs.put it on July 1st and in that month I collected 10 lbs of pollen they make 80 lbs honey and when I checked them they had about 6 frames 2/3 full in the bottom chamber with pollen. I also learned at first they came in with huge loads. after a few days the loads got smaller. i believe they learned how to get more passed the double # 5 hardware. also i seen a change of how they passed through the squars. they went in with the pollen loads matching the corners on each side. they had lots of brood. By fall this was the stronges hive in the yard of about 8 Hives. Left the trap on for 2 months