I'm installing in my first 2 hives next week. They are side by side. Can I install at the same time or wait a day between them so the bees that are left in the packages know which hive is theres or will they figure it out?
What do you do with the syrup can? I will be painting the HSC frames with honey-bee-healthy and feeding it to them from a pail feeder on top of the inner cover. I had thought about setting the cans outside the packaged hives but, am sure this will cause robbing from the locals( I'm guessing cover and trash it or paint it on the frames also?)
I'll be installing an entrance reducer. Is 1/2" or 3/4" enough or do I need to make the opening larger? Thank's For the advice folk's. I know I'm over thinking this. Brad
make sure the packages have syrup in their cans, and let them sit in a dark place for a day. then install them both into their hive boxes. Don't give them any more than one box each, and yes, use your entrance reducers. Letting them sit for a day in the dark will help all the bees in the packages bond with the queens, thereby helping all the bees to stay in the correct box with queens. You can mix the cans of syrup into your HBH cans to feed back to bees.
I would install them at the same time they will find a home in eigther hive. No need to take extra care trying to keep the packages together. Toss the can of sugar with the packages. Start feeding right away until they eigther draw out all the comb or they stop taking. As for the entrance deducers 3/4 to 1/2" should be fine just want to make sure they have a smaller area to have to defend from robbers. I normally don't use them at all as i find if a flow starts it will hinder them getting to the good stuff.
installed a couple of nucs this morning.
I put in a deep frame of honey in each hive.
Will this suffice for feeding needs until they get up to speed?
I am in Southeast PA and the trees are just budding out.
Thanks
>Will this suffice for feeding needs until they get up to speed?
They will burn up a frame of honey and a frame of pollen and a frame worth of water for every frame of brood they rear. If there is enough coming in, yes. If not, no.