Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[zaunreiter]

Just thinking about pollen traps for a TBH. I had the following idea:

The trap looks similiar to a topbar just broader/wider. Front and back has a division board with an entrance/passage each.


Vertically a pollen grid is mounted, through which the bees can pass and the pollen is collected. Horizontally a bee grid is mounted through which just the lost pollen drops, but no bee can pass.


Front view.


The sides of the mesh are closed.


The outer sides are closed, too. This will be the collection tray. Where the pollen will be collected


The floor is closed, too. The floor can be made of dense mesh, where the dirt drops through but not the pollen. A mesh would be good to airate the pollen thus the pollen stays dry.


The other side is not closed completely, instead a gap is left open. Through this hole the pollen can be shaken out of the trap. The hole can be closed with a piece of sponge or something.


xray-view of the trap.


For installation you simply remove the first couple of combs, which shouled be incomplete and fresh combs anyway (the new topbars go to the front) and the trap is installed. Leave a bee space between front board and trap, so bees can enter the trap whereever the entrances are located.

This is the rough idea of it.

[outriggerbev]

did you try this Bernhard or have you found a better pollen trap.Bev

[zaunreiter]

I will try this this year - our bees just do start to fly. It's Spring here.

[biobee]

Interesting idea, Bernhard. Look forward to seeing how that works in practice.

[Drafty]

[quote="For installation you simply remove the first couple of combs, which shouled be incomplete and fresh combs anyway (the new topbars go to the front) and the trap is installed.[/quote]

This does look an interesting idea. I am a little confused over the placement of the collector and the bar locations. Currently when facing my hive side entrance, the combs start on the left with empty bars added to the right. Are you indicating that the collector should be placed on the left in my case and empty bars also added to the left, thus requiring to move all the filled comb/brood towards the right. or have I got it completely the wrong way around.

Andy