Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: BjornBee on January 08, 2009, 08:50:05 AM

Title: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: BjornBee on January 08, 2009, 08:50:05 AM
I have been contacted by a doctor in regards to a patient with debilitating allergy problems. The patient is from the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. He had a supply of pollen from a health food store, but the packets were small and very expensive, and although it was somewhat effective, a more local or stable supply of "known" pollen is being asked sought.

So if you have, or know of someone in the western part of Pennsylvania with a half pound or a pound of pollen to sell, please contact me, and I will pass on the doctors information.

This doctor also practices holistic and natural medicine. So this could be a nice foot in the door, to maybe something bigger.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: mudlake on January 08, 2009, 03:12:48 PM
I hope someone has some. I agree would be a great in.  Good Luck  Tony
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: Kathyp on January 08, 2009, 04:21:34 PM
? about that.  isn't local raw honey supposed to be good also? 
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: jdpro5010 on January 08, 2009, 05:22:46 PM
My understanding is that the local honey is good for allergies because of the local pollen in the honey.  By using local pollen you are just skipping the honey part :-D  Bjorn I am approx. 45 minutes away by car but sorry no pollen for sale.
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: bassman1977 on January 09, 2009, 11:39:21 AM
I thought I read somewhere that for the pollen to be effective on allergies, it should be from a source with in 5 or 10 miles.  Can anyone confirm?
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: BjornBee on January 09, 2009, 12:19:33 PM
Quote from: bassman1977 on January 09, 2009, 11:39:21 AM
I thought I read somewhere that for the pollen to be effective on allergies, it should be from a source with in 5 or 10 miles.  Can anyone confirm?

I'm not going to dig out the sources, but I read from at least two places that for pollen, local would be within 50 miles. It seems that, as example, goldenrod is everywhere, but the genetic makeup of the plant is different as you go further in distance. You certainly can identify a goldenrod pollen from one state as compared to another based on this. And it actually has been used to solve crimes in the past by proving that a person was in a particular location based on leaves or seed pods trapped on a vehicle, etc. That's not to say that taking a particular pollen from a goldenrod plant in Kentucky would not help a person in Pennsylvania. It's just the closer you are, the purer or closer you are to the actual pollen causing the allergy.

Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: Scadsobees on January 09, 2009, 02:15:43 PM
Honey has small amounts, and wheras a beek might not collect pollen, they have the honey. 

So that would be the next solution if pollen were not available.
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: bhough on January 11, 2009, 11:40:50 PM
My three hives are in the city of Pittsburgh, but I'm only a beginner.  Additionally, I don't know how to get pollen out, I'm just doing crush and strain for my honey.  Bjorn, you are welcome to give them my email address: [email protected] and at least by spring I'll figure out how to get them some pollen.  An interesting question would be just how much pollen they think would help reduce their allergies.  It'd be easy to drag my hive tool across comb with pollen in it and give them a few tablespoons for free, but it'd be alot harder to collect a cup, etc.
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: bassman1977 on January 13, 2009, 08:52:55 AM
QuoteMy three hives are in the city of Pittsburgh, but I'm only a beginner.  Additionally, I don't know how to get pollen out, I'm just doing crush and strain for my honey.  Bjorn, you are welcome to give them my email address: [email protected] and at least by spring I'll figure out how to get them some pollen.  An interesting question would be just how much pollen they think would help reduce their allergies.  It'd be easy to drag my hive tool across comb with pollen in it and give them a few tablespoons for free, but it'd be alot harder to collect a cup, etc.

Pollen traps are what you will need to collect the pollen.
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: bhough on January 13, 2009, 12:16:53 PM
Thanks Bassman!
b
Title: Re: Pollen in Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania
Post by: sc-bee on January 13, 2009, 04:24:53 PM
Sundance Pollen Trap supposedly the best. Ordered one last year have, not broke it out yet.