Sundance II pollen collector review so far

[power napper]

The Sundance II works! I started out sort of shaky by making mistakes. Immediately after putting my nice looking screened bottom boards on the hives and closing the bottom entrances, putting ventilated top inner covers on I installed my first Sundance II pollen trap. Only got a few grains of pollen for over a week and a half so expected something might be wrong, a lot of my bees went under the bottom screen and died there(had a piece of cardboard under the screen because of the colder weather)--my fault. Now there seems to be fewer bees coming out the top entrance. After the first learning curve I moved the collector to a more populous hive, wow what a difference.
The most amazing thing is the cleanliness of the pollen from the back drawer of the trap, easy to empty, no hassels , and always take a pinch for my personal taste test. Now I need to get five more traps!

[Sundance]

Of course if works!!! MB said it would..... ;) ;) ;) (sorry MB, won't do it anymore)

[Sundance]

I will be ordering one. Sure sounds like the way to go!! Less contaminants in the pollen like mites and AFB scales.

[Dan Williamson]

I think the key to the Sundance II is that it helps if you bees are already using a top entrance. Otherwise they have to get accustomed to both a top entrance and the pollen trap.

I like the price of the Sundance II but I still think I prefer the bottom mount trap. If I order more I'll likely get the bottom mount.

Its not the trap that I dislike it is more the top entrance. My experience is alot more bees in the air when I am working the hive as they are trying to find the entrance that doesn't look the same when I've got boxes off. I also like to run excluders so its just more of a personal preference than a review of the trap.

I love the Sundance traps. I'll never buy another brand.

[Michael Bush]

Do it in stages. FIRST get them using the top entrance. THEN get them going through the pollen trap.

[Sundance]

When I switch to top entrances, I have opened the top entrance, then reduced the bottom significantly. Over a fairly short time they make the transition.

Not sure if this is by the book but it has worked for me.

[Michael Bush]

>When I switch to top entrances, I have opened the top entrance, then reduced the bottom significantly. Over a fairly short time they make the transition.

That's a good plan. The traffic jam is enough incentive for them to learn to use the top. Then you can close off the bottom and then you can add the pollen trap. Waiting for an adjustment on the part of the bees at each of these steps.