Storage of package bee

[limyw]

How long the package bee can be kept if they are not immediately install after arriving? I am planning to import a few hundred hives soon so afraid of losses if installation is delay. Should I spray water to the bees while waiting?

[bassman1977]

How long the package bee can be kept if they are not immediately install after arriving? I am planning to import a few hundred hives soon so afraid of losses if installation is delay.

Keep them in a cool place.  They should be ok for a couple days if they have food.  Packages have a can of syrup so that should be sufficient until you can hive them.  I've waited two days after arrival already (they were penned up for 5 days total including travel time with the USPS).

Should I spray water to the bees while waiting?

Yes.  I'm not sure of the frequency though.  Maybe twice a day.  I think that's what I did.  I don't remember. It was 3 years ago.  Others will chime in.

[BeeHopper]

I hope you have lots of help  :-D

How long the package bee can be kept if they are not immediately install after arriving? I am planning to import a few hundred hives soon so afraid of losses if installation is delay. Should I spray water to the bees while waiting?

[Michael Bush]

>How long the package bee can be kept if they are not immediately install after arriving?

If you keep them fed and in a cool dark place you can keep them quite a while.  It's a point of diminishing returns.  Bees keep dying the longer you keep them confined.  You might still have enough bees to start a colony after two weeks.  But they will keep building comb in the package.

[limyw]

Thanks all.

[Michael Bush]

I save the cans from previous years and fill them with syrup.  Then I swap the full can for the empty one.