releasing the queen with a package

IABeeMan · March 01, 2009, 04:02:07 PM

I have been a beek for about 7 years myself since my stint in the US Army has ended and grew up the son of a beekeeper. I am now mentoring a young girl through the Iowa Honey Producers. I attended a beginners course last weekend and they were teaching that when installing packages to peel the screen off and just dump the queen in at the same time you install the packages. This was the first time I had heard this. I have always been told and read to do the typical 4-5 day release method letting the bees eat the candy from the cage. I am having her let the bees eat the candy as I know it works and I have never lost a queen doing this way. I am wondering if anyone releases the queen the day the install and if so what kind of luck they have with the bees accepting her.

BjornBee · March 01, 2009, 04:10:26 PM

Even if the queen has been surrounded by the bees in transit, or sitting for a day or two till one gets around to installing them, I would still be hesitant to just release her and dump her at the same time as the package. I do not think you need five days for release, but a day or two is not going to hurt either.

I normally would use a wood screw and dig out about half the candy so she would be release in about 24 to 48 hours.

Keep in mind that bees will take out the stress and aggression on the queen. Being trucked over night after being dumped into a box, many time with bees from more than one hive, etc., they may not take too kindly to all that. It would be a shame for a new beekeeper to lose a queen based on such....IMO....poor advise.

IABeeMan · March 01, 2009, 04:19:31 PM

I agree 100%. The part that puzzles me is this was the entamology dept at the University of Nebraska teaching this method. Maybe thats who has been teaching thier football team the last few years and why they have fell into the basement of the Big 12 conference. hehe

TwT · March 01, 2009, 05:01:36 PM

the thing I hate to hear is when someone releases the queen they say "she flew away", I have sit there and watch the queen come back but I have also seen her not come back then find her dead at the entrance of a hive beside her hive, I think its always best the let them release her

Understudy · March 01, 2009, 08:37:29 PM

I am not in favor of it but I understand it.

The idea is that you can do a direct release on package because a package is bees from several different hives. All that chaos is suppose to be more conducive to queen acceptance. But as mentioned the workers may want her she may not want the workers. The queen flying away is like watching money fly away. Now you can take the queen cage and poke a hole big enough in it that she could just about crawl out on her own That should give you enough time to get the cage in there and for her to crawl out while you get the lid on.

With direct release if there is suitable comb she can start laying much quicker.

Direct release is not a bad thing. It just may not be something I would have a beginner do.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

JP · March 01, 2009, 09:22:09 PM

I haven't installed a package in about three yrs as all my bees are from swarms and cut-outs, but if I were buying packages I would cage the package queen to ensure acceptance is increased even though you can probably direct release most mated queens which you have in a package, and they should go right on in.

Virgin queens are the ones that might fly out on you much more so than a mated queen, but money is money.

...JP

BjornBee · March 01, 2009, 09:24:53 PM

Quote from: TwT on March 01, 2009, 05:01:36 PM
the thing I hate to hear is when someone releases the queen they say "she flew away",

I hear that too sometimes. Can't really say it's a bad thing. Cause the next thing I usually hear is "My Visa card number is......" :evil:

Ok, settle down. Just having some fun on a cold night... :roll:

Two Bees · March 01, 2009, 09:36:01 PM

I wonder if they meant to get the bees in the hive just peel the screen off of the package. Not the queen's cage. Just wondering..................

JP · March 01, 2009, 09:41:39 PM

Quote from: Two Bees on March 01, 2009, 09:36:01 PM
I wonder if they meant to get the bees in the hive just peel the screen off of the package. Not the queen's cage. Just wondering..................

The queen will be separate from the rest of the bees, but removing the screen to empty the package is best and incidentally how the beemaster installs them on his package installation video.

...JP

oldenglish · March 01, 2009, 10:45:13 PM

Guess I will find out in April ;)
My local supplier, who was also the person giving the apprentice coarse said the same thing, although he added a couple of cautions, only do a direct release if the queen has been in the package for at least three days, when releasing her make sure you have the entrance down toward the bees you just installed as close as you can get it, he said this works nearly every time and he has had a very good success rate using this method. He said the mistake many make is putting the queen cage in and waiting too long to check on progress, if for what ever reason the queen dies the sooner you get a new one the better.

IABeeMan · March 01, 2009, 10:47:00 PM

Quote from: Two Bees on March 01, 2009, 09:36:01 PM
I wonder if they meant to get the bees in the hive just peel the screen off of the package. Not the queen's cage. Just wondering..................

I thought this very thing and even asked to make sure. They were rather clear to open queen cage and "dump" her in. Dump is a direct quote from them. I made sure and told the girl and her mom that we would not be doing it in this manner.

Two Bees · March 02, 2009, 03:00:33 PM

Well, I've never heard of releasing the queen that way. I know that some beeks with a lot of experience perform a direct release but I'm surprised that they teach that to the newbees! I don't think I would try it myself!

Michael Bush · March 02, 2009, 05:32:55 PM

I direct release when installing packages. I especially recommend it when doing foundationless or top bar hives because if you leave the cage in the hive very long at all they will start drawing comb from it and then start drawing the rest of the comb around it. This mistake gets repeated until the beekeeper straightens it out.

jgarzasr · March 03, 2009, 01:26:57 PM

I have direct released on the last few packages I have installed. The advantage at least that I see - is if I have already drawn out frames - she can immediately start laying eggs. Another advantage is I don't have to deal with the extra comb they start building around the queen cage.

One thing I do however is spray the bees down with sugar water after shaking them in the hive, close the topcover up enough to allow me to release, and then release the queen.

trapperbob · March 03, 2009, 05:06:33 PM

I spray the bees and queen with sugar water and honey b healthy. Dump the bees in the hive open the plug on the end of the queen cage so the cage is open set the cage in the bees and watch her walk out. They always seem to be very happy and she seems to burrow right in and disappear. I have not lost a singal one yet.