pollen trap building - pine, cedar, ?

[avalonweddingsbcs]

went to the abf conference in galveston and picked up a pollen trap to see how they were made...

VERY simple to build... but i was wondering...

it's made of cedar... is that to keep boards from warping? (think cedar doesnt warp as much) or just to look snazzy?

what is a good wood to build somethign with a sliding drawer? I like pine as it's cheap, but...

d

[Grant]

I was there, too. Newer traps are better designed. I have some really old C.C.Pollen traps. They work, but newer traps are much more efficient and keep the pollen cleaner from hive debris.

Mine are built of pine, and since they are only on the hive for a portion of the season, they last just fine. Been using mine since 1982.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Mine is made of pine, I just painted it, I think they make them out of cedar so that you do not need to paint it. If you are making them, go ahead and make them of pine.

Man, I wish i could have gone. I saw some pix of dadant's exhibit, that was really cool.

mike

[tommyt]

How bout a couple pictures of that trap for a cheap Green horn too look at
In case I need one

Thanks
Tommyt

[avalonweddingsbcs]

tray is sitting on top... trap is sitting on top of shamrock-s's 4x mini nuc..

behind are nuc and super parts... all in my living room... love my wife..

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e7...r/pollen-1.jpg

[lloyd@rossrounds.com]

I hate to put ice on your fire...but you bought a trap that is not very good and may actually harm your bees.

To address the latter point first. In the 1950's and 1960's pollen traps were properly criticized for reducing both pollen available to the larvae and for reducing the honey production. After a lot of investigation the researchers determined that such reductions in pollen and honey were due to the fact that the bees had to go throrugh the pollen trap twice. Once to get into the brood nest, and again to leave to forage. The trap you bought has such requirements.

The trap also had several other problems...the perforated metal screen has the punch side 'down', which means lots of bee wings will be lost before the burrs are removed. Any rain getting into the drawer will contaminate pollen, which will then be forever lost. (Other traps avoid this by design.) The drawer is made of window screen which will quickly rip. There is no drone escape which will not enable the bees to use it to enter the hive.

Look for the newer designs that avoid all these problems...and more.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Lloyd,
I have one of your sundance top mount pollen traps. It has been in storage for a couple of years. It is well built.
Darrin- I would listen to Lloyds advice...he is right on.

mike

[avalonweddingsbcs]

so what am i supposed to do? email mr dadant and tell him his stuff is junk and i want a refund?

the screen i can replace..

the burrs i can smooth out...

the drone escape i can modify..

Remember... I build things..

[lloyd@rossrounds.com]

Unfortunately there is nothing you can easily modify so that the bees do not have to go through the screen both to enter and to leave the hive.

Dadant is a first rate organization, so my guess is that they will readily issue you a credit. Just tell them that when you bought the trap you did not realize that the bees would have to go through the screen twice each trip and you want a trap where they only have to go through the screen when they bring in the pollen, and not when they exit the hive.

The top-mount trap they have, which just happens to be a Sundance, works just fine. It is all I personally use. But it cannot be used with a queen excluder and the instructions for initial use MUST BE CLOSELY FOLLOWED. Many hobbyists 'give up' on the top-mount because of the requirement that the bees must be reoriented from the bottom entrance to the top entrance.

Good luck,

Lloyd