How to Clean Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is a side product of beekeeping that can be sold as a food product. Touted as nature's "perfect food," according to Nutritional Supplements Health Guide, bee pollen contains amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and all the major anti-oxidants. Collecting and cleaning the bee pollen is not a complicated process. It is preferred to be used fresh and in its natural state. A couple of pieces of equipment and some inside knowledge of bee behavior and you can be collecting and cleaning pollen from your hive in no time.
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Instructions
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Purchase or build a pollen trap that fits the entry to your hive. The trap consists of 5-mesh hardware screen, a collecting tray and a frame to hold it. The 5-mesh hardware screen is the perfect size for the bees to pass through when entering the hive, just big enough to fit through but small enough to brush the pollen from them as they pass.
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Collect the bee pollen trap every three days. Bees have a memory for learning that they cannot fit into the hive with a full load of pollen once they pass through the screen. They will begin to make more trips with less pollen on them in the three days after you place the trap, so after three days, remove the trap and collect the pollen for cleaning. Replace the trap three days later to collect another round of pollen, and continue on in three day cycles, placing the trap and collecting it. Use a clean plastic bucket to collect your pollen.
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Take the pollen to a sanitary work area. If you are processing bee products for re-sale you will have a licensing requirement to have your establishment inspected and approved for this. All utensils used to process the pollen from this point on need to be sterilized in an approved washing method.
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Sift the pollen through a sifter that allows the pollen to pass through unbroken, but removes any bee material or foreign matter. Place the pollen on sterilized trays to inspect and make sure there are not any foreign particles left that are visible to the eye.
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Place the pollen in airtight freezer bags or containers and mark the date it was collected and the expiration date. An alternate and approved method is to place the trays of pollen in a dehydrator for an hour. Dry the pollen and funnel it into sterilized jars. Seal the jars by vacuum sealing if possible. Label the jars and store them in a cool, dry area. Be sure you note the expiration date on each package.
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References
- Photo Credit bee with pollen image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
