COMPARATIVE STUDY OF POLLEN TRAPS ON IMPROVEMENT IN POLLEN COLLECTION TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

After designing new pollen trap a trial was laid down in March, 2011 in the premises of HBRI, NARC, Islamabad on sixteen honeybee colonies. All the colonies selected were alike with respect to number of frames and bees present in them. The colonies were divided into four groups. On the first group the Gujranwala (local) pollen trap was clipped while on the second group the newly devised HBRI trap was clipped, on the third group bottom board pollen trap was fitted and on the fourth group Chinese pollen trap was clipped. The pollen drops down through the screens into pollen tray. The weight of pollen collected was compared and it was found that newly design pollen trap (second group) highly significant differ as compared to other three groups (Gujranwala, bottom board, china trap). The total yield of pollen from Gujranwala trap, HBRI, fixed bottom board and the china clipped trap in gm were found to be 83.00 ± 3.92 (Mean ± SE) ,121.50 ± 2.87 (Mean ± SE), 79.50 ± 2.33 (Mean ± SE), 66.00 ± 1.78 (Mean ± SE) respectively. The honey extracted from bee hives with all types of pollen traps was compared and no difference was observed in honey yield.