My bees can't fit through the plastic pollen trap - Help!

[Dave4559]

Hi all,

I am in Australia and recently fitted a yellow plastic pollen trap to the front of the hive.

After leaving it there for several weeks (open) to get them use to it, I put the flap down to collect pollen.

To my surprise, the bees were too big to get through the gaps! I watched for 10 minutes and saw only about 3 bees small enough to squeeze in. I saw the bees trying hard to squeeze themselves through, but they couldn't. I left them for a while thinking they had to just figure out how to do it, but they still were not getting in 20 mins later.

Are some bees a different size? I bought this hive from a commercial keeper.

Has anyone heard of this happening before?

Thanks in advance for your advice.
Dave

[BeeMaster2]

Dave,
I am surprised that they cannot fit through. Yes, a hive will have different size bees but the pollen trap should have been sized for bees developed in 5.4 cell comb because that is what most beeks are forced to use. It is hard to find 4,9 cell, natural size, foundation.
I would go back to the manufacturer and talk to them about this problem.
Jim

[Eric Bosworth]

Yes, a hive will have different size bees but the pollen trap should have been sized for bees developed in 5.4 cell comb because that is what most beeks are forced to use.

Forced to use? Nobody is forced to use foundation. Just don't use foundation at all. Bees lived without foundation for centuries and survived just fine. If you keep adding empty frames without foundation in the brood nest they will regress back to natural size after a few generations.

[edward]

The first few Days they go nuts  :-D :hissyfit:

The best time is to put the trap on midday when half the hive is outside and half in.
If it is not working 3 Days later it the wrong size of bees.

I am part of a group of 20 beekeepers that have put pollen traps on over 300 hives, only one had problems with FAT BIG bees that got stuck and wouldn't go through the pollen trap.

We use a trap that we empty every 5 Days with the vented collection basket under the hive. and alternate a left or right drone escape every 5 Days, after the first 5 Days of total close, only way in or out the pollen comb.

[Dave4559]

Thanks for your advice Edward. I am not sure about leaving them for three days. They are really trying to get through but it seems like they just can't!  I will try again and leave it on for longer, alternatively I might try and just drill some slightly larger holes in the gate.