# Pollen Pricing



## Adam Smith (Nov 24, 2008)

How many of you are selling pollen in addition to honey, and what prices are you getting? I've found it to be fairly profitable, limited only by the amount it's possible to safely take from the hive. Retail prices at local health food stores are in the $15 to $30/lb. range. This is for "fresh" pollen, which often isn't fresh in the store, but spoiled and sour, especially at the lower end of that price range. I used to retail mine at farmers' markets for $12 in a 5 oz. container, and sold all I produced. This was several years ago though, so perhaps I'd sell it for more today. Anyone getting more than that? Wholesale prices to the beekeeper in the Eugene, Oregon area are currently about $.75 to .95 per oz. for clean, fresh (i.e., not dried) pollen. So, fellow beekeepers, how are prices in your area?

I am also curious if any of you are selling pollen for spring buildup to other beeks. Anyone doing this? If so, what's your pricing like?


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

sorry, don't have an answer for you Adam, but I want to follow this thread. I buy a 1# package out of CA for $15 that is supposedly from a treatment-free, "organic" apiary. I'd much prefer to get it local (VA) but the only one who sells it here was a lot more than that (and rightly so, it's good stuff). I plan to trap more of my own this year so I have it for my own consumption. I may give away a little bit to friends to get them to try it as a supplement, but I find it to be more valuable that local honey at this point.


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## canoemaker (Feb 19, 2011)

I'm selling my pollen wholesale for $12/lb and $18/lb retail. There seems to be lots of potential for pollen sales.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

canoemaker said:


> I'm selling my pollen wholesale for $12/lb and $18/lb retail. There seems to be lots of potential for pollen sales.


Is that wholesale right out of the trap or are you drying and cleaning it first? Any suggestions on quicker ways to clean and dry it?


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

Not finding a way to subscribe from mobile. Following.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

What is the best pollen trap?


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

I like sundance traps.


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## georgiabees (Feb 2, 2010)

Wholesale
5 Gallon bucket 30 lbs. $300 $10 lb

Retail 
Bears 6 oz. $8
1/2 Lb. $11
1 Lb. $16

Pollen generally weighs 1/2 the weight of honey when dry.

Here in the Southeast US Small Hive Beetle Larva damage is enormous if traps not emptied at least every other day.


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## canoemaker (Feb 19, 2011)

pine_ridge_farms said:


> Is that wholesale right out of the trap or are you drying and cleaning it first? Any suggestions on quicker ways to clean and dry it?


I sell it frozen in 1lb and 2lb jars (honey weight--pollen is about half that). I collect it daily and spread it out on a white plastic board. Then, while wearing 3X reader glasses, I carefully look for bee parts, SHB, varroa mites, ants, and any other debris and pick them out with giant tweezers. Then I store it in large freezer containers. I bottle it as needed. I also use the sundance traps.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

Here pollen for bees is selling from $8-$10 a pound.
My question is this...don't your bees make good use of the pollen they bring in? By harvesting pollen is one shorting the hive?

For those that collect pollen how do you do it so it doesn't negatively impact the hive?
Thanks.


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## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

Two words. Sundance traps.


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## canoemaker (Feb 19, 2011)

Haraga said:


> Two words. Sundance traps.


In more than two words, Sundance traps are designed to be inefficient, trapping only about 50% of the pollen and leaving the rest for the bees.


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## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

WBVC said:


> Here pollen for bees is selling from $8-$10 a pound.
> My question is this...don't your bees make good use of the pollen they bring in? By harvesting pollen is one shorting the hive?
> Thanks.


Seeleys The wisdom of the hive has a section on Regulation of Pollen collection. Its well worth reading if you have access to the book. I am just building my first pollen trap so I can't talk from experience.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

ruthiesbees said:


> sorry, don't have an answer for you Adam, but I want to follow this thread. I buy a 1# package out of CA for $15 that is supposedly from a treatment-free, "organic" apiary. I'd much prefer to get it local (VA) but the only one who sells it here was a lot more than that (and rightly so, it's good stuff). I plan to trap more of my own this year so I have it for my own consumption. I may give away a little bit to friends to get them to try it as a supplement, but I find it to be more valuable that local honey at this point.



Tell me who it is and where they are located and I will help you determine their "organic" status.......


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Honey-4-All said:


> Tell me who it is and where they are located and I will help you determine their "organic" status.......


http://www.mybzbodies.com/Pages/default.aspx. I don't buy it for the "organic" status. It's clean and still soft pellets when I get it, so I think they really do put it in the freezer right away. And it fits my budget. I can't stand the taste so I buy 00 size empty gel capsules and pack it myself. 

For the pollen I collect myself off my topbar hives, I am using the larger plastic yellow/brown pollen trap. I empty it every day as the small ants seem to be my worst problem.


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## Adam Smith (Nov 24, 2008)

WBVC said:


> Here pollen for bees is selling from $8-$10 a pound.
> My question is this...don't your bees make good use of the pollen they bring in? By harvesting pollen is one shorting the hive?
> 
> For those that collect pollen how do you do it so it doesn't negatively impact the hive?
> Thanks.


Janne,

Thanks for the price info. I'm surprised it's not going for more there in Vancouver.

In good country, a strong hive with many foragers will ordinarily bring in more pollen than it can use. In that case, the surplus will just go to waste or even be harmful in plugging up the brood area, so there's no reason not to harvest it. Generally, it's a waste of time and equipment to put a trap on weak hives. Knowing when to trap, which hives to trap, and how much you can take without hurting the hive is something you have to discover for yourself, as it will differ a bit depending on area. Take too much and you will kill the hive. But of course, that's true of honey as well.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Canadian price is $7/lb still wet to the producer, all you can produce. The buyers simply cannot meet the demand of the consumers. 

Jean-Marc


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## Arbol (Apr 28, 2017)

Make my own traps, after some reverse engineering, and modifications. cost about $40.00USA
screen is the biggest expense
We retail at .10 cents USA / gram for fresh pollen $46.00USA/lb
I can't keep it in stock.
We sell out as soon as I list it on Criagslist.

Down in Arizona my boys have hives on Russian Thistle now, this is our biggest contract to one buyer.


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## Bear Creek Steve (Feb 18, 2009)

Arbol,

Can you PM me your reverse engineered pollen trap plans. I make most of my beekeeping equipment from lumber.
Thanks in advance,
Steve


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

What is the best/easiest way to clean pollen? I don't have time to pick out bad stuff with tweasers.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Brad Bee said:


> What is the best/easiest way to clean pollen? I don't have time to pick out bad stuff with tweasers.


Are you getting a bunch of junk in yours? And is it a sundance trap that you remove the pollen daily? My front entrance traps only have live ants in them and it's just a matter of leaving it on the outside table for a few minutes for the ants to leave.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

ruthiesbees said:


> Are you getting a bunch of junk in yours? And is it a sundance trap that you remove the pollen daily? My front entrance traps only have live ants in them and it's just a matter of leaving it on the outside table for a few minutes for the ants to leave.


I run 10-12 Sundance bottom traps during the year and don't find a bunch of junk in any of them. I collect the pollen mostly every other day, depending on weather sometimes on the 3rd day. 6 days they are open, 6 days closed. 5 or 6 are open during any cycle, then close them and open the other 5 or 6.
Trap the occasional leg or wing, ants or moth larvae but never a bunch of junk. One of the reasons why I use them.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

ruthiesbees said:


> Are you getting a bunch of junk in yours? And is it a sundance trap that you remove the pollen daily? My front entrance traps only have live ants in them and it's just a matter of leaving it on the outside table for a few minutes for the ants to leave.


Ruth I haven't tried to trap any yet. I hope to get started next spring. After reading some of the posts in this thread I thought it was something that had to be done.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Brad Bee said:


> Ruth I haven't tried to trap any yet. I hope to get started next spring. After reading some of the posts in this thread I thought it was something that had to be done.


certainly doesn't "have" to be done on a hive. Most don't collect. I just took a video of collecting the pollen on my one hive this afternoon. Usually get about 1 cup a day. Collection was down because it rained in the morning. https://www.facebook.com/topbarbeehive/videos/1876746425685212/


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

Once removed from the trap what is the best way to store the pollen?


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

mcon672 said:


> Once removed from the trap what is the best way to store the pollen?


In the freezer to preserve the enzymes and amino acids. Too many people run it through a dehydrator so it won't mold and that ruins most of them.


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## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

clyderoad said:


> I run 10-12 Sundance bottom traps


Clyde ... mind sharing your current pricing. I think I read somewhere over time you sell in a 4oz (volume) canning jar? If I remember correctly?


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## Dadu63 (Jul 19, 2021)

Beekeeper from NC and sell my honey for 15$ in a pint jar. Starting to collect bee pollen and have it in 4oz jar. I tare weight jar and it holds 2oz and gonna try and sell that for 10$. 5$ an oz. I sell beeswax for 3$ an oz.


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