I got two packages today and upon seeing them my heart immediately sank. The package facing me in the post office was 3/4 dead. Thankfully, the other package was doing VERY well. Almost no dead bees. I installed both packages but on the weak package I was afraid to dump as I wasn't sure if the live bees could do cleanup on such a large number. I ripped the top off of the package and placed it in the 10 frame deep and left it. I installed top feeders over the inner cover hole and covered with another deep and cover. I should mention that both queens were good to go. After some consideration, I went to another busy, and I mean busting out busy, hive and grabbed a frame of capped brood and pollen and put it in with the weak package. Any other suggestions for what I can do to try to salvage this bunch of bees?
Give em draw frames if you have any and a shake or 2 of nurse bees from another strong hive....queen will lay as much as the bees can cover so if you give her drawn frames and nurse bees she will go to town quick.
Maybe put them in a nuc instead of the 10 framer. Or use a dummy board.
Contact the seller and tell them you want your money back or make the package good. You paid good money so therefore you should have a good product.
Do you know where they came from? as in state? I was asked to help out at a loading dock last week. There was an 18 wheeler who couldn't get unloaded because a package of bees had busted open. Upon inspection it was about a hundred hitch hikers. When I was in the trailer I couldn't help but think, "I don't see how bees survive back here in the hot summer." I don't think the weather has been hot enough around here to cook bees in the back of a semi. If it was, it still wouldn't be your problem. They get a discount for a huge order and they figure in losses in the price.
Quote from: richter1978 on May 23, 2016, 11:55:35 PM
Maybe put them in a nuc instead of the 10 framer. Or use a dummy board.
I'm going to put in a board. All I have is 10 frame equipment.
Quote from: GSF on May 24, 2016, 08:48:10 AM
Contact the seller and tell them you want your money back or make the package good. You paid good money so therefore you should have a good product.
I've contacted the supplier (a very well known national brand) and they are replacing the package. I just figured since I had a good queen and some of the package left I might as well salvage it if I could.
My choice would be to add a frame of nurse bees every week for three weeks. When you add the frames you can check to see how the queen is doing.