Pollen Trap Plans

[BerkeyDavid]

Hi all.

I am getting ready to build some pollen traps using the design in the Spivak / Reuter manual on Queen rearing.

Interested in discussing this with anyone who has built from these plans or has opinions on it. Since I have top entrances I plan to close the top entrance while the trap is on the hive.

[Michael Bush]

I would make slight modifications to the plans and make a top entrance trap. You can actually SIMPLIFY the trap for the top and get cleaner pollen and not have to retrain the work force.

Or just buy a Sundance II. They are very nice. If I could just talk Lloyd into making them for eight frame equipment...

[BerkeyDavid]

OK, good suggestion, should result in cleaner pollen. Thanks MB.

So I am thinking that they should crawl down through the #5 mesh, walk across the #8, then enter the hive. I will try to work something up so the drawer can be in the back.

Also good idea since I use upper entrances, and less distress on the hive taking the trap off / on.

[Joseph Clemens]

OK, good suggestion, should result in cleaner pollen. Thanks MB.

So I am thinking that they should crawl down through the #5 mesh, walk across the #8, then enter the hive. I will try to work something up so the drawer can be in the back.

Also good idea since I use upper entrances, and less distress on the hive taking the trap off / on.

BerkeyDavid,
I understand that #7 mesh works better than #8 mesh, supposedly the pollen pellets pass through more easily, and with less clogging.

[Michael Bush]

They should crawl up through the #5 and the pellets should fall down through #7 into the drawn which has window screen on the bottom.

Yes, Just have it so they can get down after they go through the #5. Front or back will work. Having the drawers in the back would seem convenient. Also, you could buy one of the Sundance II traps and use it for a pattern.

[BerkeyDavid]

They should crawl up through the #5 and the pellets should fall down through #7 into the drawn which has window screen on the bottom.

Any reason why they would not crawl down?

I was thinking it would be like this
__________________________________________
entrance from left down through screen |
____________--------#5 screen ---------|
Down to hive
. . . . . . . . . .======= # 7 screen =====|
Open space ? | Pollen drawer
Hive

[Michael Bush]

>Any reason why they would not crawl down?

I never thought of it. I suppose the pollen would fall through the #5 fine so it shouldn't really matter. I just always built them so the bees had to go up through the #5.

[Black Creek]

i bought a few top mounted sundance pollen traps. since i havent done any pollen trapping before, i decided just to use one at 1st and check it out. now, it's a bit early to put it on, but they are bringing in some pollen and i thought that if it was on early they'd get used to it faster.

after having it installed for about a week and a half i just took it off. there was just a few grains of pollen in the drawer. several hundred dead bees in it. mostly up front at the entrance where the cones are, but there were several dozen bees stuck in the screen. some stuck going in, other's appeared to have gone in through the screen and tried to come back out and got stuck. several more just wandering around below the screen.

several days before putting it on i blocked of the screen bottom, blocked the lower entrance and propped up the cover to provide an upper entrance(which they were using)


Am i doing something wrong?

[Michael Bush]

>Am i doing something wrong?

It sounds like you did fine. Those are not typical results. I couldn't really analyze without watching the bees to see what's happening.

[Black Creek]

i'm wondering if the pile of dead bees i found... by the cones.... might have happened the 1st night after putting it on. could be that they were foragers that couldnt figure out how to get through the screen clustered near the cones and died. still doesnt explain the bees stuck in the screen, unless they were really cold and slow moving and just happened to die right there. I pulled the drawer every other day or so checking to see what was in it, but didnt lift the lid to see. so maybe it all happened the during the 1st day or 2 ?

[lloyd@rossrounds.com]

Did you say several hundred dead bees 'in the drawer'? If you did, I'd sure like to see that!

Assuming 'in the drawer' was not correct, it is difficult for me to determine what is wrong based on your description. I've never seen 10, let alone several hundred dead bees near the pollen trap. And I have never seen any bees stuck between the screens.

If there were dead bees in the drawer, please contact us as I will pay to get the trap back to examine it. Otherwise, I suggest you leave the hive for now with the trap off and only the top entrance open. Try putting the trap on again around April 20, and please report back. To contact us, send me a PM or call during working hours at 518-370-4989.

Lloyd

[Black Creek]

they were piled up around the cones in the front. the drawer itself had no bees in it. just a few random pollen grains.

[Michael Bush]

I wonder if you put the trap on before the spring cleaning and those are dead bees they were cleaning up from winter?

[Black Creek]

i'm thinking it has to be something like that. i'm gonna wait a month and try it again. i guess since it was a new toy for me i was overly anxious to try it out.