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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 5 Dec 2019 04:29:44 +0000
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I've seen this process in CA almonds (2006-2010).  The harvested pollen was dispersed by pollen tray inserts into the entrances, forcing bees to walk through the harvested pollen.  This requires a rather large crew, shakers, trees as pollen sources.  It knocks off twigs and blossoms, then it's hand cleaned to take out the sticks and branches, then everything is run through shakers - sort of a thrashing machine for pollen.
 
I was never sure whether the growers doing this had any hard data that  showed that this improved on nut set, since they 'added' the process to the hives brought in for pollination.  Certainly not a cheap process, plus they were freezing any pollen not used immediately.  For all of the almonds along a 400 mile stretch of orchards, that could be a substantial cost in freezers and electric power.  I doubt that the folks from Israel are freeze drying pollen.  I do know that it doesn't take much to impact the quality and viability of pollen.





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