How to Harvest Pollen

Pollen contains healthy vitamins and nutrients that many people make a regular part of their diets. It is also useful for maintaining the health of various animals including livestock and horses. To harvest pollen, a trap is set at the entrance of the hive, where the pollen dropped by bees is stored. The largest amount of pollen is produced and collected in the spring.

Things You'll Need

  • Bee pollen trap
  • Large plastic waste bag (optional)
  • Dry baking sheet (optional)
  • Hand gloves
  • Storage bags
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Instructions

    • 1

      Close down all possible entrances to the bee hive apart from the primary one at the bottom.

      Install a bee pollen trap inside the hive's front entrance or in between the upper and lower brood chambers. Install the trap as per the manufacturer's instructions. The trap contains a collection drawer in which the bees, while moving through the mesh screen, will inevitably drop pollen.

    • 2

      Check the trap a day after it was installed.

      Checking it in the early morning before the bees have left the hive or late in the day after they have returned are recommended times. Determine the pace at which bees are gathering the pollen and determine whether to increase the daily pollen gathering to two or three days if you find collection is slow.

    • 3

      Use a large plastic bag or a dry baking sheet to collect the pollen from the trap.

      Wearing sterile gloves, pull out the pollen trap drawer and pour the pollen onto the dry baking sheet or into the plastic bag. Remove large debris from the collected pollen using your gloved hands.

    • 4

      Air dry the pollen before filtering.

      Pollen is subject to molds and fungi so must be dried prior to storage. Spread the pollen on frames with mesh bottoms and air dry to the desired moisture content.

    • 5

      Filter the pollen using a series of sieves and sifters, progressively reducing the size of the mesh to remove the impurities. Place the filtered pollen into storage bags and freeze immediately as pollens are highly perishable.