Author Topic: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap  (Read 1303 times)

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Offline The15thMember

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Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« on: July 12, 2022, 08:20:44 pm »
Most of my family has been sick over the weekend, including myself, and lost in the shuffle was the fact that I have a pollen trap on one of my hives, which went unemptied for four days.  As a result there was a ton of pollen in the drawer, some of it still nice, but some of it moldy and caked on the bottom of the tray.  There was one hive beetle and a few waxworms hiding in the corner of the drawer.  I froze the loose pollen I could dump out, mostly just to kill the pests, and then scrubbed out the drawer of the really gross stuff.  My question is, is there anything I can do to salvage that pollen that isn't moldy?  The good stuff and the bad stuff are obviously all mixed together.  It's probably a lost cause, but I just thought I'd ask before I throw it all out.  The amount of waste just makes me want to cry.  :cry:
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2022, 09:51:39 pm »
Understandable.. Life happens to all of us.  I can't offer advice to salvage any of the pollen, but offer a shoulder to cry on about it anytime. Clean it up and keep on going is the best you can do in that situation!
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2022, 01:01:38 pm »
Understandable.. Life happens to all of us.  I can't offer advice to salvage any of the pollen, but offer a shoulder to cry on about it anytime. Clean it up and keep on going is the best you can do in that situation!
Thanks, Lazy.  It's frustrating, but I guess there's no crying over spilled milk, err, pollen. 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline G3farms

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2022, 07:51:30 am »
Freeze all of it and feed back to the bees this winter.
Bees are bees and do as they please!

.... --- -   -... . . ...   .-- .. .-.. .-..   .... .- ...- .   -.-- --- ..-   ... - . .--. .--. .. -. --.   .- -. -..   ..-. . - -.-. .... .. -. --.   .-.. .. -.- .   -.-- --- ..- .-.   .... . .- -..   .. ...   --- -.   ..-. .. .-. .   .- -. -..   -.-- --- ..- .-.   .- ... ...   .. ...   -.-. .- - -.-. .... .. -. --.
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2022, 11:38:11 am »
Freeze all of it and feed back to the bees this winter.
Does it matter for the bees that some of it is moldy? 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline iddee

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2022, 01:14:17 pm »
Bees work with mold easily. No problem there.
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2022, 10:40:09 am »
Bees work with mold easily. No problem there.
Well great!  Then it's not a total loss after all!  I've never fed pollen before, I don't usually need to around here.  Will they take it as is?  Can I feed it inside the hive, like in a shallow dish with a shim, or will it draw hive beetles? 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline iddee

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2022, 11:25:18 am »
I haven't either. We'll have to wait on G3.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline RAST

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2022, 07:26:37 am »
The few times in our winter that I offer pollen its defiantly outside the hive in one of these. If they want it, its like a robbing frenzy. Mine hangs from a low tree limb.
 https://carolinahoneybees.com/make-a-pollen-feeder/
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2022, 10:25:06 am »
The few times in our winter that I offer pollen its defiantly outside the hive in one of these. If they want it, its like a robbing frenzy. Mine hangs from a low tree limb.
 https://carolinahoneybees.com/make-a-pollen-feeder/
Thanks @RAST .  I'll take a look at those plans. 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.