Has anyone installed packages like this on here?
I had a website that showed the step by step but for now i can only find this picture:
http://www.rjphil.com/personal/beehives.htm
The queen is taken out and placed in the hive then a inner cover is placed ontop and the package is turned over upside down over the hole in the inner cover. This seems like it would be a lot easier and nicer than dumping the bees out.
i see no reason why that wouldn't work. the only thing i might do in addition is to put an empty super over the box for a few hours. also, be sure to remove box in short order or the bees might begin to build comb on it.
It would most likely work, my self I like the take the side out of the box, the screen, fold it back and one thump and dump. takes a second and the bees are in the hive. add queen. done in 10 mins. The Beemaster way!!
I have seen that method, and as said it would probably work. I tend to do the dump routine. As mentioned it is faster. IMHO.
David
I was thinking about doing this because the day i am supposed to get my packages were not supposed to have very good weather so i thought that doing it this way would minimize the amount of bees in the air and you could install them even on a bad day. Also i might be getting home late from school that day and i might not have time to dump every package so if i just set them ontop like this i think it would not take to much time to take the queen out and put her in the hive and then take the syrup can out and place the bees over the hole.
Any Comments?
I may be corrected, but i believe that a rainy day is a GOOD day for installing a package (just HOW rainy might make a difference)....... way less bees in the air then. Also, just before dusk is suggested so that most of the bees will hunker down during the dark hours and begin working the frames available to them, and in the morning begin their orientation flights.
Just my 2 cents FWIW