Pollen and propolis are collected with different devices, and the requirements after harvest diverge sharply.

Pollen

The trap

A grid the forager must pass through, which strips the loads from her legs into a tray.

• At the entrance, bottom or top: Each has advantages in convenience and loss
• Grid size matters; too tight hinders the bees excessively
• The tray must be emptied daily; fresh pollen spoils within hours
• A rain cover prevents the tray filling with water

After harvest

• Dryer: Low temperature; too warm destroys nutritional value
• Sorting tray or blower: To remove bee parts and debris
• Airtight packaging
• Freezer, if not drying

If moisture remains, mould develops — and mouldy pollen cannot be sorted.

Propolis

The screen

A plastic mat with fine openings placed on the frames. The bees fill the openings.

Propolis from a screen is clean; propolis scraped from the hive is mixed with wood and paint and worth far less.

After harvest

• Refrigeration or freezer: Cold, propolis becomes brittle and breaks off the screen
• Dark, airtight packaging

At room temperature propolis is sticky and unworkable; cold is a necessity here, not a refinement.

Shared rules

• Food-grade materials
• Do not harvest during a treatment period
• Record the harvest date
• Allergic reactions to both are possible and should be stated

Role allocation

A pollen trap limits the colony's protein intake and slows brood rearing. Let production colonies supply this and keep honey colonies free.