I am curious about Package Installation and whether to shake the bees out of the package or not. What's the story here?
Why shak'em out if you don't have too?
I've read about shaking the bees out, however, I was advised by the bee seller, not to shake the bees out of the package, but to place the package on its side, inside of an empty medium super, on top of a deep super, and to just let the bees come out on their own. There is rooom for the sugar can in side the med super too. This is what I did and it seemed to work well enough. So, Why shake the bees when this seems easier (and less unsettling to the bees)?
Bee1
Well theres a few reasons why people shake em. You can leave them for 3 weeks without modifying any of their resources, like taking out the box. Also, when the bees are in the box they come in, they tend to think that is their home. They may start building on it and then you'll be stuck with a big mess. By the way, shaking the bees doesn't seem to be unsettling for them when they are taken away from their hive. Aren't they being thrown all over the place when they swarm? I can see how your method would work though.
My 2 cents.
Jake
>Why shak'em out if you don't have too?
I don't have to worry about them moving up into a top box. They form a more cohesive unit from the nasanoving that results from shaking them. I don't have to come back and remove the box. It's not hard to do. It doesn't upset them that much. I put the bees where I want them and don't have to worry about them making a decision I'll regret, such as building comb in the empty box above or clustering in the box outside and dying in the cold.
shake em' and be done with it. The sooner they are in their new home, the sooner they get to work!
I shook mine through the hole the syrup can was in. Next time I'll try peeling back the screen in order to get em' in there in a second. Just kind of flop em' in in one move.
when installing, after you remove the feeder can and queen cage cover the hole back, remove a screen side of the package and the bees are a lot easier to remove than shacking them through that hole!