Betterbee Pollen traps - how well do they work?

[xC0000005]

Ordered one of these and got it yesterday -
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=543

Last night I re-assembled it. It appears to have been put together backwards, with the door opening the wrong direction and unable to swing either way, and the "roof" on mine was not in the right place. (I know, I could have returned it, but it's more work to return it than to just fix it). Today it's raining, might be for two-three days, so I think I'll hang the trap and let them get used to it when the sun comes out.

Anyone on beesource already using these? Do they work reasonably well? By reasonably I mean, for $15 I have real world expectations versus the sundance II traps (which I also ordered one of - very nice trap, will put it on once I have it painted).

[notaclue]

I was thinking about that one also. Did you call them about it?

[power napper]

This little plastic trap was my first trap for pollen collection. It is on the small side but definately does work. The small plastic drawer for collection of the pollen sometimes has quite a bit of debris and bee parts. The trap definately needs emptied each night.
I used the trap on multiple hives so went to the hardware and bought several of those bent metal screw ins to fasten it to multiple hives easily.
Using a spring loaded clothespin for holding the trap door open facilitates bypassing the trap.
Hope this helps.

[xC0000005]

That is quite helpful. I appreciate it.

[dcross]

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211786

For the price, it works reasonably well.

[stangardener]

i used two this spring and enjoyed them and for the price had no complaints. but then i've never used any other so have no comparison. i also have no problem emptying them every night and at my location i didn't feel there was alot of debris. i'm seriously considering getting ten more this winter. if you can post a comparison of the two traps you mentioned it would be appreciated. thanks.

[Dick Allen]

For $15 they're not a bad deal. I have one and have used it. There is the debris issue, so I generally use one of Lloyd Spears bottom mounted Sundance traps that has a debris board over the screen trap. Very little cleaning required with his. Another issue I've had with the plastic trap is that sometimes more than a few bees will squeeze through the "floor" openings and get into the collection drawer. I solved that proplem by placing a piece of hardware cloth between the "floor" and the drawer to make the openings a bit smaller. The plastic trap is great for use on a top bar hive, too.

[tecumseh]

these work quite nicely although I had to slightly modify the traps since my bottom boards are flush with the front of the box. I had to use a bit of masking tape to close off the gaps and placed them on the hives (with door taped open) for a day or so before sliding in the tray and trapping some pollen. the installation of the trap will confuse the workers for a day or so. you likely will need to empty the traps daily.... for one thing on a stong hive the tray can be filled to the top daily.

make certain the swinging door of the betterbee trap snaps shut or the bees will simply crawl under the door.

I have used standard bottom collecting traps and although effective were also terrible at accumlating hive debris, wax moth and shbs.

[stangardener]

have you been able to compare the two traps yet?

[power napper]

Put the plastic trap onto a bee tree log in our bee yard. Took a while to get it attatched to a board with a piece of 1 1/4 inch flexible plastic pipe out the rear of the board sticking into the knothole entrance of the bee log. Two days of plugging leaks with steel wool forced the bees to use the new trap entrance that we held open with a spring loaded clothespin--removed the clothes pin and left the trap door close yesterday for pollen collection--it works.
This is our first bee tree pollen trap!

[xC0000005]

have you been able to compare the two traps yet?

My bees are up on the fireweed right now and It's a 150 mile round trip so I dont' want to drive up and empty the trap every day. I'll be slapping them on when I bring them back and we'll see.

[Chef Isaac]

Is it really 150 miles round trip? I havent even thought about that.... crappers... guess I am in for a trip tomorrow. But there is always Charlies to get my tummy full :)