Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: goertzen29 on August 07, 2010, 03:28:46 PM

Title: extracting frames with pollen in them?
Post by: goertzen29 on August 07, 2010, 03:28:46 PM
I tried some top entrances this year and like the simplicity of them but they both have an interesting comb pattern.  The front 1/3 being filled with pollen and the back 2/3 filled with honey.  Just about every frame in the supers are like that.  Now that the honey is mostly capped I'm wondering if I can extract like this or will all the pollen come out of the comb with the honey?

Is this common for top entrances? 
Title: Re: extracting frames with pollen in them?
Post by: Kathyp on August 07, 2010, 03:39:13 PM
i don't know about your entrance question, but i wouldn't worry about the pollen.  most people would consider it a + in their honey.  if you are straining it as you extract, you'll get the big bits. 
Title: Re: extracting frames with pollen in them?
Post by: goertzen29 on August 07, 2010, 07:23:41 PM
I guess I was wondering if the pollen would come out in chunks which would filter out nicely or little bits which may not.  I'm not opposed to pollen in my honey I just don't think I want big chunks if it and I just run my honey through window screen so it only get the big stuff.

Also I noticed some of the pollen appears to have honey on top of it, so I was wondering if that would flavor my honey?
Title: Re: extracting frames with pollen in them?
Post by: Michael Bush on August 07, 2010, 11:16:06 PM
The pollen will not come out.  You need to match pollen combs on opposite sides of the extractor to balance it.