new package o bees here!!!

zzzzzzzzpr · April 16, 2013, 04:59:37 PM

i got my bees today and put them in my hive. i was wondering how long before the rest of them in the box will go into the hive?
will i have to hit it again and pour them out? there are a couple a groups huddling together in the box. they dont seem that they want
to fly. i have to leave in a few hours and dont want to leave them alone.

D Coates · April 16, 2013, 06:21:04 PM

How cold is it there? Either way a few light puffs of well placed smoke will send them heading for shelter & queen.

zzzzzzzzpr · April 16, 2013, 06:26:43 PM

53 degrees

dfizer · April 16, 2013, 08:19:03 PM

just place the open package very close to the opening of the hive facing it. The opening of the package should be as close as possible to the opening of the hive. In just a couple of hours the bees left in the package will move out of the package and into their new home.

David

tefer2 · April 16, 2013, 10:43:19 PM

When I used to install pkg bees, it seemed we were always in a hurry. We would remove the screen from one side and dump the whole works in. A couple of bangs on the frames and it was done.

tefer2 · April 16, 2013, 11:50:07 PM

(and dump the whole works in.)
Maybe I should clarify that for the newer folks out there.
After, removing the queen and syrup can. :buttkick:

D Coates · April 17, 2013, 12:39:49 PM

Quote from: zzzzzzzzpr on April 16, 2013, 06:26:43 PM
53 degrees

They're cold. They don't like to fly if it's below 50. When it's cold like that, I've pulled the queen cage out and put it between frames in a super. I then remove enough frames to fit the package box (feeder can removed) in a deep next to the frames where the queen cage is located. They'll head towards her smell and abandon the package without much confusion and cluster without getting caught in the cold. It takes more time to hive but works better for colder weather.

Unfortunately this doesn't help you in this situation.

zzzzzzzzpr · April 17, 2013, 07:30:47 PM

went out at around 10 a.m. and the box was just about empty.
around 4 pm it was empty. i now know what to expect for my 2nd package.

L Daxon · April 17, 2013, 08:48:36 PM

After taking out the queen and syrup (of course) and placing the queen cage in between the frames, I've always just tapped the package box against the ground or hive top a couple of times, then turned it over and dumped the whole thing into the new hive body. I usually take a frame or two out before I do that to give the girls a bit more room to drop down through the frames. If there are clingers that want to stay in the package box, I just lay the box down near the entrance and let them take their own sweet time to move into the hive.

Glad to hear you got your bees. Right now it is raining so be sure you put/keep some syrup on the hive to give them something to eat as the forecast is rainy until the morning and then cooler until about midday Saturday. If you have any questions call me. Linda D. Good luck.