Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: The15thMember on July 12, 2022, 08:20:44 pm

Title: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: The15thMember 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:
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: LazyBkpr 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!
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: The15thMember 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. 
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: G3farms on July 17, 2022, 07:51:30 am
Freeze all of it and feed back to the bees this winter.
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: The15thMember 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? 
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: iddee on July 17, 2022, 01:14:17 pm
Bees work with mold easily. No problem there.
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: The15thMember 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? 
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: iddee on July 18, 2022, 11:25:18 am
I haven't either. We'll have to wait on G3.
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: RAST 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/
Title: Re: Forgot to Empty Pollen Trap
Post by: The15thMember 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 (https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=228) .  I'll take a look at those plans.