PollenTrapping

Pollen Trapping:

Keeping an eye on the pollen might help let us know what plants our bees are visiting. Some
plants are good pollen producers and some don’t give the bees much at all. Depending on the
needs of the hive the bees may spend a fair bit of time gathering pollen instead of nectar. Very
often the pollen and nectar gathering go hand in hand as both are necessary to the health of the
hive. Spring is a really good time of year to trap some of the pollen that the bees are hauling in.
The trapped pollen can be used to feed back to the bees in time of pollen deficiencies, eaten by
the family or sold on the health market. There is a fair bit of evidence supporting the healthful
benefits of eating local pollen. Ideally the best market for selling pollen to people with sensitivities
to the natural air born pollen is to sell them pollen before the plants bloom and put the stuff in the
air. To do this a beekeeper must trap pollen, date it and then freeze it for sale the following year.
Vacuum packing will give the best chance of preserving the quality of your product. Watch the
spring growth and bring your pollen on the market a few weeks prior to the actual pollen bloom.

Here are a few pollen types that show up in the hive.

Willow ----------------- Pale green ---------------- April and May
Dandelion -------------Bright Orange ----------- May and June
Labrador tea --------- White --------------------- Mid June
Alaska Spirea -------- White ---------------------- June and July
Mountain Ash -------- Pale Green --------------- May
Alder ------------------ Tan ------------------------ May
Wild rose ------------- Greenish Grey ----------- June
White Clover --------- Olive Drab ---------------- May through September
Sweet Clover -------- Tan ------------------------ July through August
Fireweed ------------- Purple ---------------------- July and August

Southcentral Alaska Beekeepers Association