Installing
Your Package Bees
When your package finally arrives, make sure
everything seems in order. If you are not going to
install the package right away, place in a cool (not
cold), draft-free, quiet, darkened area. At this
point you may feed the bees. With a spray bottle
filled with a mixture of sugar syrup, mist the bees.
Feed them liberally with the sugar syrup; do not
soak them. The sugar syrup should be prepared ahead
of time and consists of a mixture of either one part
sugar one part water, or two parts sugar, one part
water.
Your equipment should be ready and in place before
the bees arrive. Close the entrance to keep mice
out. The best time to install the package is in the
late afternoon. If the weather is unusually cold,
wait for the weather to improve. However, your
package should not be kept more than a few days.
It's best to hive them as soon as possible.
Take the package to your hive. Open the hive front
entrance. Take off the outer and inner covers and
set aside out of the way. Next, remove four or five
of the frames from the middle of the super; gently
lay these frames against the side of the super. Take
your package and shake or jar the package so the
bees drop to the bottom of the box. Now with your
spray bottle of sugar syrup, spray the bees to coat
their wings -- do not soak them.
Next, take the wrapping off the top of the package,
exposing the top of the feeder can and Queen cage
(if with the package). Queen cage is usually hung
next to the feeder can by a wire. Grasp the wire tab
to keep the cage from falling into the package;
remove the feeder can and set aside. Remove the
Queen cage. Check to see the Queen is alive, then
place the cage in your breast pocket, screen side
out, until you are ready to install the Queen. If
the Queen is dead, you can proceed with installing
the package but you'll need to contact your supplier
to get a new Queen as soon as possible.
Again, spray the bees in the package with syrup.
Take the package and place over the hive where the
frames have been removed and shake the bees into the
hive. You do not have to shake out every last one:
place the package at the hive entrance so
"stragglers" can enter the hive.
Now
you will have a large mass of bees in the centre of
your hive. Slowly replace the frames you removed.
Just lay them on top of the bees; do not push or
shove them in place, you'll only squash bees. Allow
the bees to climb up onto the frames. You'll find
the frames will settle into place. Now, open up a
small space between frames five and six for your
Queen. When the Queen is shipped inside the package,
use one of the indirect methods to release her.
Remove the cork (if present) from the candy end of
the Queen cage. With a small nail (1 1/4" frame nail
works nicely) make a small hole through the candy,
being careful not to impale the Queen. The cage can
now be suspended between the two frames. The bees
will eat through the candy, releasing the Queen
(about 24 hours).
If
the Queen is shipped separate from the package, to
install her, leave the cork in place. If no cork is
present, take a piece of masking tape and cover up
the opening to the candy. The Queen cage can now be
suspended between the frames. Come back in two days.
Remove the cork or tape, allowing the bees access to
the candy, which they can now eat through. This
method delays the Queen's release and increases the
likelihood of the bees accepting her.
In
both methods, once the bees have access to the
candy, come back the next day and remove the Queen
cage. Make sure the Queen has been released. If she
hasn't, leave the cage in place another day. If bees
have not released her by then, you can do so
yourself. Carefully open the cage, place on the top
bar of the frames and allow the Queen to walk out.
She will soon disappear into the hive.
When closing up your hive, put feeder with medicated
syrup in place (more on feeding later). replace
inner and outer cover. Put your entrance reducer in
place so bees only have a small opening to guard.
Leave, and come back when it is time to remove the
Queen cage. remember, when you remove the Queen
cage, to reposition your frames. Place the end of
your hive tool between the first frame and the super
wall, to lever the frames towards the centre. Keep
the frames parallel and tight together.
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