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Author Topic: Ideas with full pollen frames  (Read 3378 times)

Offline Cindi

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Ideas with full pollen frames
« on: December 17, 2006, 10:28:01 am »
This past season I have had to unite several of my colonies, the downside.  This was not because of disease, clean hives, but the devastation from the varroa mite.  So the upside I see it is:  I have many frames of pollen that are pretty much full, both sides, frames with pollen in the centre and capped honey along the upperside.  These were frozen.  I put two frames to a package and used Glad's Press and Seal to seal these frames tightly.  It is a very convenient product, rather expensive, but I love to use it for many things.

I have an idea and wonder if others think it pretty good too.  Robo has a device called a sugar board that he makes for his colonies, as an emergency feed, in the event of course that the bees do not have enough stored food for the wintertime.

What I was thinking was:  making the sugar board, but instead of having the entire board sugar candy, only doing half the board with sugar, a division board separation and on the other part of the sugar board placing a frame of pollen laying down so the bees can have access to the pollen as well when they need it.

In the spring time here, about the middle of February, when the colonies are starting to rear brood big time, pollen patties are generally placed above the brood nest.  I wonder if these pollen frames would be a superior product to use.  If that is the case, I am in luck.  I don't think I will have to bother making pollen patties.  They are fun to make, but I would imagine that "real" 100% pollen gathered by the bees would be the choice for the girls.  Input?  Great day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2006, 12:10:00 pm »
Pollen frames would be a superior product all the way around.  It's in the form the bees expect to find it and it's 100% pollen.  Yes, I'd put it in the hives somewhere between the 1st of January and the 1st of February.  Swap out some empty combs for the pollen and put some of the pollen at the edge of the cluster where they will find it.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2006, 12:13:33 pm »
Michael, awesome, it shall be done.  Great day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline tig

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2006, 06:39:36 am »
i have never been succesful storing frames with pollen.  what i do is trap some, dry it and store in an air tight container.  this is emergency pollen in case of a dearth period.  if i have to feed pollen to the bees, i mix some powdered sugar with pollen and blender the 2 together.  the mix is spread over the top bars and the bees take to it very easily.

the best method i use is to select my really strong colonies and stash pollen frames with them.  when another colony seems to lack pollen, i remove a frame from the selected colony and give it to the one lacking. 

is there anyone who knows a method for storing frames with pollen outside a hive?

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2006, 07:22:20 am »
The freezer is the only successful method I know of.  But even dry pollen keeps better in the freezer and will lose a lot of nutrition if you don't.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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Offline Finsky

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2006, 07:23:45 am »
Some beestock are lazy to gather pollen and some forage  good stores. This is one feature how to select mother queen and drone hive when you raise bees.

Tic, in your climate it may be quite difficult to store pollen utside the hive. All kind of bugs will eate stores or spoil them.

Offline tig

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2006, 09:29:12 am »
thank you michael and finsky for your replies.  keeping frames in the freezer is out of the question because i don't have a freezer big enough, for that matter keeping several kilos of dried pollen in the freezer would be a stretch.  i guess i will have to keep them stashed in the strong colonies.

Offline Finsky

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2006, 09:37:31 am »
Tig, here is very usefull report to read.  http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/05-054sum.html

Look the original report download   http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/05-054.pdf

Offline Cindi

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2006, 09:39:47 am »
Finsky you are an amazing man with all the internet links that you post for us members on the forum.  Thank you so much.  Great day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline BEE C

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #9 on: December 18, 2006, 10:01:30 am »
yeah finsky that was an awesome help, I downloaded that document and have stashed it so I have it on hand in my Bee files.  I find a lot of your links top notch information from excellent sources.   :mrgreen: thanks

Offline Finsky

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2006, 10:18:25 am »


Thanks collaques! Fatty bees to everyone!

Offline Cindi

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2006, 10:29:30 am »
Finsky, yup, I did the download too to my hard drive.  Greatest of days.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Dick Allen

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #12 on: December 18, 2006, 01:57:56 pm »
A beekeeper I know says he places surplus pollen frames in one of those plastic strorage containers with a layer of sugar on each side of the frame. As sugar absorbs moisture, it will prevent mold from showing up on the stored "bee bread".  Come spring he places some of the frames into his new hives begun from packages. The sugar of course is used for syrup.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Ideas with full pollen frames
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2006, 08:25:23 pm »
A beekeeper I know says he places surplus pollen frames in one of those plastic strorage containers with a layer of sugar on each side of the frame. As sugar absorbs moisture, it will prevent mold from showing up on the stored "bee bread".  Come spring he places some of the frames into his new hives begun from packages. The sugar of course is used for syrup.

Wow!!!  Now that is the mother of invention for sure.  Does that not make 100% sense?  So much for the incredible work and space in the freezer that is used up by these frames. 

Has anyone else tried this out there?  Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

 

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