In this article, you’ll discover how beekeepers collect bee pollen. Not every beekeeper carries out this process, but there are financial and dietary incentives for those who do. Whether you wish to sell or eat your pollen, here are some tips on how you can go about extracting it from your hive.
Setting Up Pollen Traps
Beekeepers use specially designed traps to collect pollen. They’re made of mesh and wood, while newer designs are plastic. There are several types of traps available, including bottom-mounted, back-opening, side-opening, and top-mounted traps.
You must put the trap over the hive entrance so that the bees have no choice but to pass through it when returning. The pollen they carry will brush off and fall into the trap’s tray.
Maintaining the Traps
Although it’s easy enough to set up a pollen trap as you discover how beekeepers collect bee pollen, you’ll see that it takes a tremendous amount of effort to maintain one. You need to collect the harvest every day, or else the collection will deteriorate. Also, you can’t let your pollen become wet, as moisture will ruin it. Consequently, you must be constantly aware of rain.
Cleaning and Storing Pollen
Cleaning bee pollen requires several hand sieves. During your first sieve, you must use fiberglass mesh to remove dust. Then, you must pass the pollen through two sieves to remove the larger debris. You can handpick everything else.
Store your pollen in airtight containers and don’t expose it to fumigants. Often, you should freeze the pollen so that you can preserve it for the future. Unlike honey, which never goes bad, pollen can easily spoil if left unattended.
Bee Pollen Uses
You can enjoy bee pollen in your smoothies or yogurt. Additionally, sprinkling bee pollen into salads and popcorn adds a sweet taste. Many beekeepers also make a living selling bee pollen to companies that make dietary supplements. Bee pollen also has anti-inflammatory properties; can help lower cholesterol; and is rich in enzymes, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.
You can also purchase your own natural bee pollen at Crystal’s Honey.