Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Bottom-mounted traps can be housed in a standard hive body (see Figure 32). These
traps have a screen bottom of 6 × 6.5 mesh per inch (25 mm). The collection drawer
slides out to the rear of the hive and, for ease of operation, this may have sloping sides
and may also be protected by a sliding outer cover. The drawer's pollen-collecting area is
fitted with a plastic-wire or stainless-steel mesh bottom to allow for good ventilation.
Fig. 32. A bottom-mounted
trap removable from the
side. This is easy to use and
causes less disturbance to
the bees
Both types of pollen trap can be purchased from bee-supply companies or they can be
made by the more talented carpenters among us. Plans are available for this purpose at
http://www.beesource.com.
Drying pollen
Before drying the pollen, it is a good idea to freeze it overnight to kill off any wax moths
or wax moth eggs that may be in it. Fumigants should not be used for this because they
will contaminate the pollen.
When first collected, pollen has a moisture content of between 7 and 21%. It therefore
needs to be dried to prevent fermentation and deterioration. Large-scale pollen
producers use huge ovens for this purpose that can dry racks of pollen to an exact
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