Production of pollen

[davidesv]

Hello all,

I have searched by forum search function but I didn't find any thread on how to product pollen from hive. For moderator: please shift the post in proper place if necessary.

I have bought the pollen trap but I didn't installed it yet because it's not so clear for me how to manage this production so far.

I know that I have to let the trap no more than one day in order to avoid to steal too many pollen useful for hive itself.

For example, during chestnut tree flowering, you can pick up a large amount of pollen.

After you collect the pollen you must dry it in order to avoid go mouldy.. how can I dry pollen without expansive equipment (dry machine)? They did advice against to dry pollen by sun cause it a long process...

Bye
Thank you
Davide

[alpha6]

We leave our pollen traps on all summer with no adverse effects to the hive. You have to "train" your bees to use the trap. Putting it on and pulling it off will defeat this. When you install it make sure that they can't get in at other areas like cracks, other openings etc. or they will use these and your pollen trap will remain empty.

When you pull pollen you will need to clean it. You can do this by shifting out big debris and then picking out anything this misses. We immediately store out pollen in the freezer as this keeps it fresh and that is how it is sold in our stores from the freezer section. Unless you have a dehydrator or some similar device it may get moldy if you try and dry it. Like I mentioned before freezing keeps it fresh.

Hope that helps.

[davidesv]

Thank you Alpha6,

so if I put pollen in freezer it cannot get moldy, isn't it?
After freezing if I put pollen in jar do you think that's ok?

Bye
D.

[alpha6]

You can store it in a jar but that should also be kept in the fridge or freezer by the consumer. When we sell it we usually have a couple of jars out on display but give the customer a jar from a cooler that has ice and keeps the pollen cold. This way we assure them it is fresh.

[GaSteve]

That's exactly what we do as well. It's not immediately perishable, but after a couple weeks at room temperature, the flavor will start getting strong. I've never seen mold form in the jar, but the flavor will get downright unbearable. I know folks who dry theirs in the sun which gives it a stable shelf life, but that's a pain and the slightest amount of rain or dew will turn it to mush.

[GaSteve]

I believe it will last pretty much indefinitely in the freezer. If it's in an open container in a frost-free freezer, it will actually pull moisture from the pollen. You just have to watch it doesn't pick up off odors from other things in the freezer.

[Durandal]

If you have a LOT of moisture you'll get mold in the traps. I have a couple of those front attaching traps with the "asterisk" shaped plastic screen that pulls about 40% of the incoming pollen. I had to leave my on for close to 14 days dyuring which we had a rain storm.

No water got into the capture box but we had close to 8 days of 80% or greater humidity.

Mold was present. When that happens clean the entire pan because the spores will spread if not removed and the conditions are right again.

I will second the using freezing to remove moisture...even refrigeration will do so over time.

A quart jar with the a feeder lid on it will do the same thing. So long as air can move in and out of the jar it will work fine. Giving it a shake every coupld of hours or wonce or twice a day excellerates this I think.

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

You may also try an inexpensive electric smoker of the type used to smoke fish and other meats or the type to dehydrate fruit. Spread the grains evenly in a thin layer on trays of fine mesh - window screening should work well. Keep the temperature relatively low - say, 120F or slightly cooler - and make sure plenty of air is moving through the "dryer".