Today I will deal with the topic of pollen ... which is very important for bee reproduction.
Pollen is tiny grains that are found in sacs of various flowers. For bees, they are an important source of protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. It would be ideal for them to have more different flowers, because bees overwinter better on that, as well as on the early spring development itself, which directly affects the amount of honey yield.
It is very important for the human organism itself. It accelerates the recovery from diseases, suppresses nervousness, and creates the body's physical resistance. It is remarkable for the use of prostate therapy. It is also used for cosmetics. Increasingly, medicine is finding evidence of the effects of pollen in humans.
The method of collecting pollen is different, but the essence is the same. There are external collectors and internal. I personally use the internal. When the bees arrive in the hive, they go through the holes of size determination, whereby lumps of pollen fall from their hind legs and the drawer under the hive falls. These drawers are emptied daily and pollen is stored. The catchers themselves are made by inserting some part into the hive they use because of the litter. However, there are certain time periods when the catchers are active so that the bees can collect pollen for their needs as well.
Fresh pollen contains about 18 percent water and is very perishable. Therefore, it is stored in a room where there is a draft or it is dried in pollen dryers. When drying, you should mix the pollen, which is in a thin layer. By drying itself, we manage to lower the amount of water by 8-9%. After that, we put that pollen in the freezer at -18 degrees for at least two days, and then we can store it for a long period of time at zero degrees. Another way is to put fresh pollen in the freezer and keep it in use.
Another way to use pollen is pollen that bees have preserved for their own needs and this is called Perga. The bees put it in such a way that the pollen would not spoil. Usually the perga is taken out of the honeycomb to be replaced. The frame with the perga is cut so that the cells are open and then the perga is removed from the cell with a hyacinth. After removal, the perga is placed in glass containers and hermetically sealed until use.