Perhaps the most delicate work in making flowers from clay is sculpting stamens with pollen.
I use three methods to make pollen:
1.
The most expensive and time-consuming one is to get to the Fleur group store and buy or order from them with delivery.
2.
Make pollen from semolina.
3.
Collect real pollen during the flowering season.
Each of these methods has pros and cons.
First:
(+) you can buy pollen of any color and a lot;
(-) you have to pay, wait or go.
Second:
(+) – you can paint pollen of any color and in any quantity,
(-) this is rather not a minus, but something like a minus: the pollen turns out to be large, the size of a semolina grain, although it can be crushed in a mortar to a finer fraction.
Third:
(+) real pollen, it turns out very similar;
(-) not enough, can only be collected during the flowering season, is poorly stored, and if you have allergies, this method of “making” pollen is not suitable at all.
Photo 1.
From one freshly picked daffodil it is possible to collect pollen for a pair of cobbled together flowers. To do this, dip the tip of a thin sausage made of floral clay into glue and narcissus pollen.
How to make pollen for stamens with your own hands from semolina
Photo 2.
Very very very simple:
Moisten the semolina with alcohol or vodka in which the gouache of the desired color has been previously diluted. Mix quickly and spread in a thin layer on plastic or oilcloth until completely dry. If grains of semolina stick together, knead them with your hands, first placing them between two layers of thick paper.
In the photo above there are grains stuck together, but small individual grains and yellow dust fell down the glass. If you separate all this, you can get at least 3 types of “pollen” of different sizes.
Photo 3.
Stamens are made in the same way as with real or purchased pollen: we roll into sausages, thickly coat the tip with glue, dip in pollen and dry.
Photo 4.
then form a pistil from a slightly longer sausage, add 5-6 stamens and begin sculpting the petals. (How the petals for the daffodil were molded)
Photo 5.
This flower is made with semolina "pollen"
Photo 6.
And for this, real pollen was used, taken from the prototype.
To provide long-term storage pollen, it must be thoroughly dried. Required condition– there should be no moisture in it, as the pollen will become damp. The use of damp pollen is prohibited. Otherwise, serious poisoning and other health complications may develop. Raw pollen can develop mold containing toxic elements.
To prevent such situations, it is important to dry the pollen well. In this case, a special dryer that you can make yourself will help.
Cons of indoor drying
Some beekeepers refuse to use a pollen dryer. They take clean paper and spread pollen on its surface in a very thin layer. IN in this case it is necessary to ensure that the layer does not exceed two centimeters.
When using this method, it is important to choose the right room. No penetration allowed sun rays, as the product may deteriorate. The paper must be sterile. Otherwise, dust particles will penetrate into the pollen and it will become unusable.
The temperature inside the room must be stable. When the temperature rises or drops sharply, mold appears or humidity rises. This technique has many disadvantages, so it is preferable to build a special dryer. This design does not have to be purchased in a store. With a small set of tools and materials you can make it yourself. Thanks to this device, the necessary temperature support is provided, and it is also possible to process a huge amount of products.
Pros of an electric dryer
Electric dryer is considered one of the best options among similar equipment for the apiary. It has some advantages:
- it can be made from any material;
- equipment power – 300-1000 Watt;
- the volume of the structure is designed for 3, 5, and 10 kilograms;
- this electric dryer is universal, so it is used not only for pollen, but also for a variety of vegetables, fruits, berries, and seeds;
- the operating principle is similar to heaters, since all the air flows from bottom to top, which ensures high-quality and efficient drying of products;
- As for the industrial network, it is 220 volts.
Homemade design for drying
You can construct a dryer designed for pollen with your own hands, following the recommendations. Use available tools to avoid spending extra money:
- a small cabinet will come in handy;
- it can be equipped with a heater or fan;
- To improve ventilation, you need to drill a small hole.
You can make a dryer using the following principles:
- you will need a housing from under the hive in which a heat fan is installed;
- to prevent mold from occurring in products, pollen is spread in a thin layer;
- a special mesh is stretched along the bottom;
- then it is necessary to construct several small boxes to install in the drying chamber (on top of each other);
- the creation of a drying chamber occurs as follows: 2 buildings are connected and then equipped with tin corners;
- In order to be able to slide the drawers, you need to nail down special slats;
- Next, you need to assemble a blank lid and cover its top with foil to create additional insulation.
As you can see, creating this device with your own hands is quite simple.
Sadochok design
This equipment is universal and has many advantages:
- drying process of the highest quality;
- The device is light in weight;
- safe, durable and reliable design with a double level of protection;
- thorough drying of products;
- easy to use;
- the minimum drying time is 60 minutes, and the maximum is about thirty hours;
- the work is carried out from the network, there is a high electricity consumption.
Any apiary requires good equipment. To avoid unnecessary costs, you can most Create the entire inventory yourself. You may also be interested in the article about creating.
In this article, I will talk about how and where bees collect pollen, how the beekeeper takes it from the bees, and what he does before the pollen goes on sale.
How and where do bees collect pollen?
Pollen is the male reproductive cells of plants. It consists of tiny pollen grains. Bees collect it for their own needs and to feed their babies. For these insects, pollen is the only protein food.
Bees collect the most pollen in the spring in the first half of the day. Bees collect pollen from flowers of plants and trees. When a bee lands on a flower, the pollen from it seems to stick to the bee, this is due to the fact that the pollen is charged with a positive charge, and the bee is charged with a negative charge. 
The bee uses its paws to scrape off the adhering pollen and rolls it into lumps, which it secures on its hind legs in special “baskets.” To prevent the pollen from scattering, the bee moistens it with nectar. When placing pollen balls (pollen balls) on their legs, it is important that they have the same weight and size, otherwise it will be uncomfortable to fly.
Having arrived home, a bee does not always immediately enter the hive. If the pollen is wet, for example from a dandelion, then the bee, before entering the hive, stops and, as if resting in the sun, ventilates the lumps of pollen on its hind legs.
How does a beekeeper collect pollen?
To collect pollen from bees, the beekeeper buys or makes special pollen collectors. They consist of a grid and a box for collecting pollen. Pollen traps are hung at the entrance to the hive.
Round holes are made in the pollen catcher grid, through which the bees are forced to bend their hind legs so that the pollen flies off them. This pollen flying off the bee's legs ends up in a special box from which the beekeeper subsequently takes it.
A beekeeper may not collect pollen every day. If, for example, bees collected pollen in the morning, and then it started to rain, then everything that fell into the box will get wet and turn into “porridge.” Such pollen is no longer suitable. Therefore, there are not many days on which the beekeeper can collect pollen. During the honey collection period, pollen is also not collected, since, passing through the cells of the pollen collector, the bees crowd at the entrance to the hive and interfere with each other, thereby reducing the supply of nectar to the hive. 
After the beekeeper has collected pollen, he needs to store it. Pollen contains a lot of moisture and can therefore become moldy and spoiled. There are several ways to preserve pollen. It can be frozen in the freezer at minus 18 degrees Celsius. Pollen can also be preserved with honey by mixing it with it in a ratio of 1 to 1 to 1 to 3. Most often, pollen is dried. This also has its own subtleties.
You cannot dry pollen in the sun. The drying temperature should be below + 40 degrees Celsius. If these conditions are not met, then useful material those in the pollen will evaporate and there will be no sense from it.
In my apiary, I dry pollen in a special vegetable dryer. I pour it in a thin layer on gauze or tulle, set the drying temperature to + 35-38 degrees Celsius and leave it for a day. When the pollen dries, it becomes hard and the lumps do not break apart when you pick them up. In this form, pollen can be stored sufficiently for a long time. But it needs to be put into a tightly sealed container and placed in a dark place.
The pollen collected and dried by the beekeeper is packaged in glass and plastic containers with a tight lid, after which you can buy pollen in Moscow, Penza, St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia.
An interesting fact is that if one bee collected pollen, then in order for it to collect only 100 grams. it was necessary to make 6000 flights and spend 130 days on it!
Delicious healing honey is a real gift of nature. But few people know about pollen and its benefits. Meanwhile, this beekeeping product also has amazing therapeutic and prophylactic properties. Correct Application pollen can protect a person from many ailments.
The use of pollen in folk medicine
The bees carry pollen on their paws to the hive. Mixed with bee saliva and nectar, pollen clumps into lumps resembling uneven grains. Another name for this product is pollen. It contains many amino acids, macroelements, vitamins, and microelements. Every lump of pollen is a storehouse of health.
The use of pollen is indicated for treatment or general strengthening of the body.
Pollen is used in folk medicine for the treatment of diseases internal organs and systems.
- To strengthen the immune system 1 tsp. Suck pollen 3 times a day. Full course – 30 days. This scheme is suitable for the prevention of senile dementia.
- For anemia, take ½ tsp. pollen 3 times a day for a month.
- For diseases of the gallbladder, stomach, intestines, 1 tsp. eat the product on an empty stomach. You can eat in 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 21 days.
- To restore the liver 1 tsp. Mix pollen with a small amount of honey and slowly dissolve. It is enough to take the sweet medicine once a day for a month.
- A mixture of honey and bee pollen mixed in a 2:1 ratio will help with hypertension. Eat 1 tsp. 3 times a day. The full course of treatment is 45 days.
- For kidney diseases, mix honey and pollen in equal quantities. Eat 1 tsp. 3 times a day after meals. You can stop taking it after a month.
- For inflammation prostate gland prepare a mixture of 25 g pollen, 50 g honey and 100 g butter. Spread the mixture on a piece of black bread and eat one sandwich 2 times a day. This recipe will also help with reduced potency, after abdominal surgery, with decreased immunity.
- For low acidity and associated gastric problems, prepare a mixture of 500 g honey, 20 g pollen, 75 ml regular juice homemade aloe. It should be stored in glass jar on the refrigerator shelf. There is 1 tsp. on an empty stomach before each main meal. Continue treatment for 30 days, then take a break for 3 weeks.
After completing the full course of treatment, you should in any case take a break. After 2-3 weeks, the pollen intake can be repeated. It is necessary to alternate the use of pollen and rest until a lasting improvement or complete healing is achieved.
Preventive pollen intake
You can also take pollen for preventive purposes. In this case, it is eaten as a regular dietary supplement or mixed with honey. To prevent disease and maintain immune system to stay in good shape, eat 1 tsp daily. product 2 times a day. It is best to do this on an empty stomach, 15 minutes before. before eating, slowly absorbing the pollen.
You should not eat pollen immediately before a night's rest, as this can disrupt your sleep patterns. There should be at least 3 hours between taking the food and going to bed. In addition, you should not eat more than 2 tsp. spoons of pollen per day. Exceeding the dose is fraught with poisoning and hypervitaminosis.
Pollen, like honey and other bee products, has powerful healing potential. The use of bee pollen is indicated for a number of diseases, as well as for the general health of the body.
More interesting information And useful tips you can always find it on ours.
What is flower or bee pollen?
This unique natural product is completely natural and is obtained by bees from the most different colors. Flower pollen is also called bee pollen, pollen-pollen (because bees carry it on their hind legs, hence the name “pollen”).
It consists of small multi-colored grains that are covered with a shell.
We absolutely need them for the good functioning of our body, and, therefore, for youth, beauty, and active longevity!
If you take pollen correctly, you can greatly improve the condition of your body. Starting from vision, sleep restoration, psychological state and strengthening the immune system, to healing from more serious ailments!
In order to REALLY experience all the benefits of pollen, in order to use it to help your body heal and solve a number of other problems associated with the normal functioning of all organs and systems, you need to know absolutely EXACTLY that the pollen was CORRECTLY collected, It was prepared CORRECTLY, stored CORRECTLY, and you also take it CORRECTLY.
What are the benefits of bee pollen:
This beekeeping product is 100% natural.
The nutritional value of pollen surpasses even honey!
This is a very powerful tool for enhancing immunity and maintaining it at a fairly high level. high level.
Flower pollen has strong tonic properties (which is why it should absolutely not be taken in the afternoon, and especially in the evening, otherwise you won’t fall asleep!).
The use of pollen is simply vital for people who have recently suffered serious illnesses, operations, and those who are at the stage of recovery, but are still exhausted both physically and mentally.
At cancerous tumors This is one of the most powerful means of complex treatment
The anti-aging properties of pollen are simply amazing! Cell regeneration occurs “one-two”! Wounds, scratches, abrasions, even small burns - everything heals very quickly.
The detoxifying properties of pollen were noticed by scientists quite a long time ago: when consumed, all metabolic processes in the body, including the speed of the body’s natural cleansing functions.
This miracle remedy perfectly suppresses the proliferation of viruses, fungi and microbes in the body.
When consumed during pregnancy, pollen will help not only replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals in the pregnant woman’s body, but also normalize the “psychological swing” in her mood.
It wonderfully strengthens the walls of our blood vessels and heals atherosclerosis.
Helps restore absolutely all metabolic processes in the body.
Significantly helps increase blood hemoglobin.
It perfectly helps both to restore strength after hard physical work, training and other stress, and to prevent severe exhaustion and fatigue.
Bee pollen is simply a salvation for weather-sensitive (weather-dependent) people! It makes things SIGNIFICANTLY easier when the weather changes!
Pollen is the most natural, and at the same time a very strong antidepressant! She copes well with depression, improves mood, self-confidence, and the desire to Live and Act!
It will be equally useful for people with increased blood pressure(BP), (hypertensives), and people with low blood pressure (hypotonics).
It should become a MANDATORY element of your diet if you ALREADY have problems with the heart and blood vessels! For men, it is simply “almost a panacea” in terms of treatment, prevention and strengthening of the prostate gland.
Flower pollen significantly improves the functioning of the WHOLE digestive system.
Has an extremely beneficial effect on the liver. Helps to cure serious problems with liver.
Bee pollen is a wonderful assistant in various weight loss programs: it helps you burn more efficiently. body fat and, at the same time, remarkably supports the functioning of the body under dietary restrictions.
It improves the functioning of the body's hormonal system! Pollen easily treats problems with the urinary system and problems associated with sexual impotence. This is a super powerful aphrodisiac!
Bee pollen responds well to treatment and restoration of impaired functions in the organs of vision.
Removes any inflammation in the body. This is an excellent natural remedy for protecting the body during flu epidemics!
This bee product is excellent remedy for good prevention of strokes, heart attacks, and various other interruptions in the good functioning of the heart. Take it as a preventive measure, especially if you know that you are at risk for it (i.e. you are at risk)!
This is a wonderful remedy for restoring and significantly improving the condition of nails, hair and skin.
“Bee powder” has SPECIAL value for Women's Health and Beauty! It promotes significant rejuvenation of the body as a whole at the cellular level, helps to quickly get rid of extra pounds, and correctly “tune” a woman’s body for a healthy pregnancy, easy childbirth and joyful breastfeeding of the baby; she gradually and correctly prepares the entire body for this.
It has incredible benefits for children's health thanks to its powerful vitamin-mineral composition and other biological active components that it contains!
For the same reason, it is simply “prescribed by the doctor” for use in adolescence, during the period of active development of the body and the “replacement” of many of its former functions with radically different ones.
By taking pollen (preferably along with other beekeeping products), you can stimulate the body of a growing child and help him go through this period of adaptation to a new way of functioning more easily:
- improve brain activity,
- improve physical state and dream,
- strengthen the immune system,
- heal existing “sores”
For teenagers, taking pollen will be very helpful!
Flower pollen treats various allergies in the body.
Regular and proper intake of pollen helps SIGNIFICANTLY improve blood composition!
This is an excellent remedy for dysbiosis in the intestines. Helps restore normal microflora.
Good for lowering blood cholesterol levels.
The results of pollen are always quite stable and always long-lasting!
How to use bee pollen correctly:
The approximate norm for one day is 1-2 teaspoons, depending on your weight.
Flower pollen has strong tonic properties, so it must be taken in the first half of the day, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach, slowly dissolving it in the mouth until completely dissolved.
It is important to understand here that pollen, like any other beekeeping product, is absorbed IN THE MOUTH, just during its resorption, when it reacts with saliva! If you simply swallow it or dissolve it in water and drink it, there will be no benefit! This is worth remembering and applying!
If you don’t really like the taste of the pollen itself (and this happens, it all depends on what flowers it was collected from), suck it along with honey. This is what concerns pollen in “grains”.
As for the preventive use of pollen (simply for general health, rejuvenation and maintaining body tone at a high level), some experts advise taking pollen in courses, taking short breaks between them.
And some - on a permanent basis.
As for treatment, opinions are equally divided. Some advise taking pollen in courses, others - constantly, until complete healing from the disease. What to do here - decide for yourself.
Contraindications for taking pollen
Who should not eat pollen:
Individual intolerance to bee products.
Chronic diseases in the acute stage - take with caution.
Children under one year old.
It must be stored in a completely dark place.
The shelf life of pollen in “grains” is two years, the mixture of pollen and honey is stored for up to five years. We must understand that beneficial features pollen decreases over time.
The storage temperature of bee pollen is not higher than 20 degrees Celsius, with humidity not higher than 75%.
