The two 3lb packages of bees I ordered were ready for pick up today. I ended up having to drive all the way out to Chester, SC to get them, but as good fortune would have it, I had the time this morning. I got them back home and went about installing the bees in two hive boxes. I had not leveled the hive boxes so I had to do that first. After leveling the hives I put ten frames of foundation in each and added an empty upper super on top of them. This leaves room to put a feeder can on top of the frames, and a space to pour the package of bees and still have room to put an inner cover and telescoping lid on and not crush any bees. I opened the package and removed the feeder can that came with it. The queen is in a small box with two or three tender bees and this was removed from the package. It is attached to the package with a small section of packaging tape. You can slide the queen box in between the two center frames in the hive box, and staple the packaging tape to the top of the frame to keep it from falling to the bottom of the hive box.
Some of the queen boxes come with both ends corked, but one end will also have hard candy packed in one end. If this is the case, remove the cork from this end and install the queen box in the hive. If you get a queen box that does not have hard candy in one end, get a small marshmellow and stuff it in the end of the queen box. The bees will eventually eat through either the marsh mellow, or the hard candy and release the queen into the hive. This additional time allows the bees to become accustomed to their new queen.
Once the queen box is in the hive you can place the feeder can in the top of the hive, and pour the bees in. Some folks like to spray a mist of sugar water on the bees before pouring them in. This keeps most of them from flying for the time it takes you to get them in the hive. I do not do this, I just pour the bees in, and then leave any that may still be in the package and place it in front of the hive. They'll find their way in.
I also like to put a bottom board feeder in and reduce the entrance of the hive to no more than 1" wide. The small entrance is easier for the small hive to defend. Keep a good eye on the feeder, the bees will go through an entire feeder in a day when they are first installed. They need lots of energy and food to produce wax to make all that new comb.
I think that just about does it, except that the girls softball team I help to coach, won their first game tonight in the most dramatic of fashion. They fell behind going into the bottom of the sixth (the last inning)9-6 and had to come back to win. The girl who had the game winning hit had gone hitless up to that final at bat. Well, actually she had a hit in her previous at bat, but had thrown the bat so was called out. She was very distraught about that, so it was nice to see her get a chance to redeem herself, and she came through like a trooper.
Some of the queen boxes come with both ends corked, but one end will also have hard candy packed in one end. If this is the case, remove the cork from this end and install the queen box in the hive. If you get a queen box that does not have hard candy in one end, get a small marshmellow and stuff it in the end of the queen box. The bees will eventually eat through either the marsh mellow, or the hard candy and release the queen into the hive. This additional time allows the bees to become accustomed to their new queen.
Once the queen box is in the hive you can place the feeder can in the top of the hive, and pour the bees in. Some folks like to spray a mist of sugar water on the bees before pouring them in. This keeps most of them from flying for the time it takes you to get them in the hive. I do not do this, I just pour the bees in, and then leave any that may still be in the package and place it in front of the hive. They'll find their way in.
I also like to put a bottom board feeder in and reduce the entrance of the hive to no more than 1" wide. The small entrance is easier for the small hive to defend. Keep a good eye on the feeder, the bees will go through an entire feeder in a day when they are first installed. They need lots of energy and food to produce wax to make all that new comb.
I think that just about does it, except that the girls softball team I help to coach, won their first game tonight in the most dramatic of fashion. They fell behind going into the bottom of the sixth (the last inning)9-6 and had to come back to win. The girl who had the game winning hit had gone hitless up to that final at bat. Well, actually she had a hit in her previous at bat, but had thrown the bat so was called out. She was very distraught about that, so it was nice to see her get a chance to redeem herself, and she came through like a trooper.
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