Pollen got me puzzled...

[Insy]

Hey All,

Quick question what the hell do you do with all this pollen??

Last season my hive overwintered with 2 frames of pollen and by spring they was all moldy and manky, Atm there bringing in ALOT of pollen main hive filled 2 brood frames with solid pollen in 1 week.

What am i supposed to do with it all??

Thanks
Ben

 

[Queens59]

Nothing - it is to feed the young bees not for the beekeeper...

 

[Insy]

Yes i understand this lol, but if they keep filling these frames with pollen there wont be no room for brood or honey at this rate.

Forecast is very high pollen all week again so doubt they will slow down.

 

[pargyle]

Hey All,

Quick question what the hell do you do with all this pollen??

Last season my hive overwintered with 2 frames of pollen and by spring they was all moldy and manky, Atm there bringing in ALOT of pollen main hive filled 2 brood frames with solid pollen in 1 week.

What am i supposed to do with it all??

Thanks
Ben

Leave it alone - they will either feed it to the young bees, eat it themselves or leave it in there over winter and clean up any mess themselves in spring ..

Nothing you want it for unless you know anyone who is metamorphing into a bee !!

 

[pargyle]

Yes i understand this lol, but if they keep filling these frames with pollen there wont be no room for brood or honey at this rate.

Forecast is very high pollen all week again so doubt they will slow down.

You should have enough room for everything ... the bees know what they are doing generally - what sort of a hive have you got ?

 

[Insy]

I didn't want it for nothing, just free up space for more brood.

If they start to fill it to much can i remove and store the frames for spring next year and replace with fresh frames or will it go funny?

Its currently a national hive on a 1 Brood + 4 Super combo and this week another brood will be going on.

 

[pargyle]

I didn't want it for nothing, just free up space for more brood.

If they start to fill it to much can i remove and store the frames for spring next year and replace with fresh frames or will it go funny?

Its currently a national hive on a 1 Brood + 4 Super combo and this week another brood will be going on.

With that amount of space I think you are worrying unnecessarily ... I've not heard of people removing frames of pollen but perhaps someone else knows better ?

 

[Swarm]

The people on here with big freezers store pollen and honey frames.

 

[Insy]

Well once i stick the second brood on there will be enough space hopefully, btw thanks for freezer tip i have a big chest freezer i may store 1-2 frames end of season for spring if enough pollen in the hive.

 

[beeno]

Hi Insy,
As Swarm says, freeze it. When everyone dashes around making pollen patties in the spring you are sorted!

 

[Sean.]

Another option would be to use a pollen trap, and freeze the pollen to be used in pollen patties or sell it, if you are getting that much. The bees know what to do in order to survive, we sometimes go against that to get more honey.