Uncaging Queen?

Turkey165 · April 27, 2017, 08:12:47 PM

Im new to this site and Bees. I built a TBH during the winter and picked up my package today. My ? is when I looked in cage it was the queen and only a cork. Do I need to put a marshMellow in after pulling cork? When should I pull the the cork? the Queen was introduced Monday in package and I released the bees into the hive today and hung Queen.

Thanks in Advanced!

Ben

Captain776 · April 27, 2017, 09:52:21 PM

There should have been a cork in ne end and bee candy in the other end.
You can look at the cage, if the bees appear to be sticking their tongue in the cage, they are accepting the Queen, if you see their abdomen bending down like they are trying to sting her, she is not being accepted.
If it looks like she is being accepted, you can manually release her into the hive.

Bruce

A37 · April 27, 2017, 10:00:52 PM

If you decide to plug the hole, I'd get the bees off her and take her inside to do it. I take mine in the bathroom and do it, she is quick and if she gets out you can catch her.

Turkey165 · April 27, 2017, 10:09:07 PM

Thanks for responding. The guy that sold them said there is only a cork. Just went out to check on them and there all in hive. ill give a day or two check her out. Thanks Alot!

Oldbeavo · April 28, 2017, 04:36:46 AM

There should 3-6 young attendants with the queen if she has to travel or stay in the cage. Surprised queen only!

Turkey165 · April 28, 2017, 09:03:34 AM

me too. Should five days be good for excepting her?

10framer · April 28, 2017, 10:56:03 AM

5 days is enough

Hops Brewster · April 28, 2017, 11:23:19 AM

Some queen cages have only one hole, instead of one at each end. In fact, I've never even seen the 2-hole variety.

A marshmallow will work fine. What I do is hold the qc in my left hand with a marshmallow held in my thumb and forefinger ready to stuff into the hole. I shake the queen down to the bottom of the qc while my right hand takes the cork out with a small pair of needle nose pliers, and I quickly stuff the marshmallow into the hole before the queen comes back up. The first couple times I did this, it was a race to plug the hole before the queen got out, but now it's quick and easy. Haven't had a queen fly off yet using this technique.

Turkey165 · April 28, 2017, 12:51:36 PM

Thanks for all the replies. Ill give it a try this afternoon.