# Pollen Trap construction questions



## nickfx (Dec 29, 2013)

Hey all,

i stumbled upon this pollen trap construction plan: http://www.beesource.com/files/hosterman_pollen_trap.pdf at beesource.com. It's a great plan with many details but I still have a few minor questions I'd like to get answered before starting to construct the pollen trap. I'd be really grateful for some insights: 

1) According to construction plan, there are TWO "5 to the inch hardware clothes" attached to the top and bottom of the top screen. Any reason why i need to install two and why do both have the same cell size? Do the bees have to pass both clothes and if yes, why?
2) Why is there a THIRD hardware cloth of the same cell size in the bottom screen? 
3) What happens with the garbage from the beehive that falls down? (Things like small pieces of wax etc.). Would I have to filter it in order to get clean pollen? 
4) Say I'd like to stop collecting pollen for awhile, is there a quick way to do that?
5) What about drones? How do they get into the hive if they're too big to pass the cells?

As I'm new to this, some questions might be obvious but I'd nevertheless like to get a serious response. Thank you very much in advance!


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>1) According to construction plan, there are TWO "5 to the inch hardware clothes" attached to the top and bottom of the top screen. Any reason why i need to install two and why do both have the same cell size? Do the bees have to pass both clothes

Yes.

> and if yes, why?

To get more pollen.

>2) Why is there a THIRD hardware cloth of the same cell size in the bottom screen? 

I think just to keep the mice out. #4 will probably work on the bottom.

>3) What happens with the garbage from the beehive that falls down? (Things like small pieces of wax etc.).

Which is why a top trap has much cleaner pollen.

> Would I have to filter it in order to get clean pollen? 

Yes.

>4) Say I'd like to stop collecting pollen for awhile, is there a quick way to do that?

With a top trap you just remove it. With this bottom trap you'd have to move all lthe boxe to remove it. A Sundance would have a bypass availble.

>5) What about drones? 

I don't see how that works in this particular design. The simple solution is just drill a 3/8 bypass hole for the drones. The fancier way is to drill a series of them and put some wire cone drone escapes on them. The advantage to this method (which is used in the Sundance) is that the workers soon find it's easier to get out that way and will go out the drone escapes and back in through the trap making less wear on their wings.

>How do they get into the hive if they're too big to pass the cells?

They don't. Any pollen trap design has no way for them to get in unless there is just one 3/8" opening for drones (which workers will use but traffic jams will force some to use the trap).


----------



## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

My opinion is that unless you just like to build things, or you are looking for a trap that you can just leave on the hive day after day except for emptying it regularly, I would just use those entrance mounted traps, they're cheap and trap pollen every bit as well as those traps that cost 6 times the price, and if you still like building things you can build those cheap traps like I did instead of spending $10. Only downside is you can't leave them on during a rain, and should take them off at night to prevent the pollen from getting damp from the night air, a minor inconvenience if you ask me.


----------



## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Today I modified the pollen traps I use - because they didn't work 100 % as I wanted it. 

I want a pollen trap that I can activate by a flap. And where the trap stays with the hive all year long. Without transportation or storage of equipment. Also I want the pollen trap not to change the appearance of the hive front, since foragers get confused by a changed appearance.


I kept the wooden blocks on the right and left side, because the pollen comb was cutted already and thus too short. It would be nicer if the pollen comb extends into the side walls of the deep floor. (The strut in the middle is for the vertical division of the hive, which is an extra project. 2queen-hives.)









Front view of pollen comb. The pollen comb is thick, which is much better than a grid/mesh or perforated plate. Because the bees have to stretch to get through the pollen comb, which removes the pollen much better and does less harm to the bees. 









The cover of the back part is simply nailed and fixed. It prevents that the litter of the bees falls into the pollen trap. 









Into the front part of the trap a flap is mounted. From above.


















Front view. The flap is opened and the bees can walk up the slope into the hive freely. Because this is a deep floor, the ascent helps the bees reaching the combs from below. 









Flap closed. The bees are forced to walk through the pollen comb in order to get into the hive.









The flap is mounted in a very simplistic way. I drilled some small holes into the flap and cover, pushed through a piece of electric cable and bend the wire from below. That's it.









Again. Flap open, pollen trap deactivated. 









Flap closed. Pollentrap is activated.









Half closed.









A wedge keeps the flap in position and divides the incoming traffic into right and left.









The wedge can be pulled out.









...and wenn the flap is closed, the wedge holds up the flap.










From the sides the drawer can be pulled out to harvest the pollen. It is protected from rain, is aerated because of the mesh/cloth the drawer consists of and stays pretty fresh. Never had mold or something even after a surprising rain or thunderstorm.


----------



## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Harvest of one day.









Bernhard


----------



## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

@Bernhard

What diameter holes do you use on your 'flaps'?


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

nickfx said:


> 3) What happens with the garbage from the beehive that falls down? (Things like small pieces of wax etc.). Would I have to filter it in order to get clean pollen?
> 4) Say I'd like to stop collecting pollen for awhile, is there a quick way to do that?


I suggest that you buy a Sundance bottom trap, and copy it. It is the answer to your questions. 

3) There is a piece of luan above the collection tray that prevents hive debris from falling into the pollen. Works very well. No debris. Well done Lloyd

4) To start collecting pollen, you install the trap, and leave the door open. This allows the bees to enter the hive without passing through the trap. After a day, close the door. The bees are forced to go through the trap. When you want to stop gathering pollen, open the door. The bees instantly directed into the hive. Want to gather pollen again? Open the door. What could be easier?

I've never used a top mounted trap, but this Sundance bottom trap works so well, I can't imagine working with anything else. With a dozen traps, I can, I can collect more than a hundred pounds of pollen is just two or three weeks. All I need for a season of queen rearing.


----------



## philip.devos (Aug 10, 2013)

jmgi said:


> My opinion is that unless you just like to build things, or you are looking for a trap that you can just leave on the hive day after day except for emptying it regularly, I would just use those entrance mounted traps, they're cheap and trap pollen every bit as well as those traps that cost 6 times the price, and if you still like building things you can build those cheap traps like I did instead of spending $10. Only downside is you can't leave them on during a rain, and should take them off at night to prevent the pollen from getting damp from the night air, a minor inconvenience if you ask me.


I did not find an entrance mounted trap for $10. Do you have ordering info and source for one of these?

Thanks,

Phil


----------

