Installing Packaged Bees

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- Welcome, today I'm going to walk you through one of the quickest and simplest methods to install packaged bees.

First, here's a bit of background on packaged bees.

Packages can either be used to start a new colony or to renovate an existing colony that is weak.

Packages are primarily produced in southern states and shipped northward during the spring.

They arrive in Pennsylvania as early as April.

Packages can be ordered from a local bee keeper or directly from the commercial producer.

Your best option to order a package is to attend a local bee keeping meeting or contact your state apiarist for more information on purchasing packages.

It is best to order your package by early winter.

Packages arrive in spring so that colony populations can be maximized before major nectar flows.

In Pennsylvania during April, snow is not uncommon, however packages can still be installed as you will see in this presentation.

A package consists of three things.

Three pounds of worker bees, which constitutes about 10,000 bees.

A metal can containing a food supply, 50% sugar syrup with small holes in the bottom to allow the bees to withdraw syrup.

And a young queen, usually marked with paint on her thorax.

Typically the queen is mated, however packages can be ordered with a virgin queen or queenless packages can be ordered if you are renovating a weaker colony.

Packages can be ordered in two, three or four-pound sizes that average about $120.

The most common size is three-pound packages.

A three-pound package typically arrives in a wooden shipping package that measures 6" x 10" x 16" with wire mesh on each side for ventilation.

The metal can containing a food supply is positioned in the middle of the cage along with the queen.

The bees cluster around the queen so she cannot be easily seen through the mesh without knocking the bees to the bottom of the package.

A young mated queen is housed in a separate cage that is suspended at the top of the package alongside the feeder as you see circled here.

Two to three worker bees, or attendants, are caged with the queen to care for her.

The queen cage is supplied with hard candy at one end of the cage.

The queen is housed separately to keep her safe.

There are multiple techniques to install packages, but I'm going to discuss two of the most common and quickest methods of installation.

It's important to install the packages as soon as possible after arrival.

If need be, they can be left in a dark room at room temperature for one to two days, however, this is not recommended.

If this is the case, spray the bees twice daily with water and cover the bees with a light sheet or tarp.

Be careful that the bees do not overheat.

Now, it is important to have everything prepared in advance.

Materials include a spray bottle of one-to-one sugar-to-water solution.

This can be measured by either weight or volume.

Supplemental feeding to provide food for the bees, a hive tool to assist during installation, and an entrance reducer.

Entrance reducers can range from grass to a wooden reducer.

A smoker is not necessary because packaged bees are not defensive.

The first step is to reduce the entrance of the colony with either a wooden entrance reducer or grass.

It is important not to fully block the entrance to still allow the bees to take orientation flights.

Reducing the entrance will assist in allowing the bees to settle into their new home and reduce flight during installation.

The reducer can be removed within a few days after installation, or many times with grass, bees will remove it themselves.

About three to five frames are removed from the middle of the hive to provide space when the bees are shaken from the package into the colony.

This next step is optional, however, recommended.

To prevent flight during installation, the bees are heavily sprayed with one-to-one sugar water.

This may require knocking the bees against the ground in order to thoroughly coat all the bees.

It is important to reduce flight because the bees will fly away and not return to the hive.

Although one cannot prevent all flight, the goal is to significantly reduce flight.

Now, gently knock the package against the ground or the hive so that the bees fall to the bottom of the cage.

After a majority of the bees have fallen to the bottom of the cage, remove the wooden lid and metal feeding can.

It is also best to lightly spray the bees again with sugar syrup.

Removing the metal can is accomplished by placing the package on its side, and with a little manipulation of the hive tool, the can will easily slide out.

Be careful not to damage the queen while removing the feeding can.

It is important that the bees are clustered on the bottom of the package and not near the feeding can when removing it.

It is not uncommon for bees to build white comb around the can while they are in transit.

Once the metal feeding can is removed, you must move quickly.

Gently remove the queen from the package, brush away adhering bees and check to see if she is alive.

The bees tend to be gentle, but gloves can be used to prevent stinging.

The queen typically comes in a Benton queen cage.

The Benton cage is a small wooden box with mesh screening stapled over the length that houses the queen along with two to three attendants.

At each end of the cage is plugged with a cork, while on one end there is hard candy that will serve as a slow-release mechanism in which I will go over later in the video.

Upon removing her, place her to the side or in your pocket while the bees are installed.

This will keep her safe.

After removing the queen, shake the bees vigorously into the empty space in the hive by rotating the package from side to side until majority of the bees are inside the hive.

It looks intense, but it is fairly straight forward and the bees are not harmed during this process.

Majority of the bees will fall into the hive after a few shakes.

Spraying the bees with sugar solution helps to reduce flight during this step because the bees are sticky and wet.

Set the package near the entrance of the colony to allow remaining bees to crawl out.

Now, gently spread the bees to allot enough room to place the initially removed frames back into the hive.

When installing the queen cage, remove the cork from the candy end of the cage.

A slow-release method is one in which the workers on the outside will eat through this candy, releasing the queen slowly over a period of two to three days.

With a small nail or wire, puncture the candy.

This helps the workers chew through the candy.

Be careful not to damage the queen when puncturing the candy.

It is best to slow-release the queen.

Direct releasing her could cause rejection by the workers.

Temperature fluctuations and handling during transit can lead to high-stress levels experienced by the bees, so it is best to allow the bees a few days to settle in.

After three to five days, if the queen is still in her cage, it is best to gently remove the mesh and manually release the queen into the hive.

Be careful upon releasing the queen because she can fly away.

Queens that have yet to lay are lighter and can easily fly.

I will discuss two common techniques for installing queens.

The first technique is to gently place the queen between the two middle frames as close to the center of the colony as possible.

This will help the queen stay warm if you are installing in cooler weather.

Note the position of the cage.

The cage is vertical and the screen is not facing a frame.

This allows the queen to remain accessible to workers to feed her and for ventilation.

This technique is suitable only for colonies with frames that have already been drawn out.

The drawn out comb serves to hold the queen cage in place, otherwise the queen cage can easily fall to the bottom of the cage and she will die.

The second technique is to place the queen on top of the frames and center her in the middle of the hive with the screen facing downward.

This technique is ideal if the frames are new and not yet drawn out.

Although the worker bees are at the bottom of the hive, it will not take long for them to find the queen, due to the strong pheromones that she elicits.

I will now walk you through an installation method that does not require the removal of frames.

The only difference between the two installation methods is that the queen is placed on top of the frames and the bees are shaken over top of her.

After the package is mostly emptied, place once sheet of newspaper over top of the bees.

Next place a hive body or a one to two inch spacer over top to prevent from squashing or damaging the queen and the bees.

Feeding is strongly encouraged, especially when the weather does not permit foraging.

Frames of honey can be given to the colony, however, an easy alternative to honey is a 50% sugar solution, either in a chicken feeder or a one gallon Ziploc.

The chicken feeder provides an edge in which the bees can land to collect feed while not drowning.

If you do not have a feeder, a Ziploc bag will work.

After filling the bag, puncture it with five to 10 holes with a nail or wire.

Gently press the Ziploc bag until the air bubbles are removed and that the solution is slowing dripping from the bag.

Other methods to feed colonies include a mason jar, entrance feeder or a division board.

Examples can easily be found online.

Lastly, place an empty hive body or spacer over the feeder.

I recommend filling the empty space around the feeder with newspaper to prevent the bees from building comb.

Remember to remove the extra hive body spacer and feeder once the bees begin to forage.

Congratulations, installation is now complete.

Colonies should be left alone for the next two to three days, after which you will have to double check that the queen in released.

Approximately one week after the queen is released, there should be evidence of a prolific queen and you will see eggs in the cells.

If not, the queen may have been rejected by the workers and another queen should be ordered immediately.

You are finished.

I hope that you enjoyed this video and happy beekeeping.