Indoor hiving a package

[Dick Allen]

Bees can be hived indoors if it’s really cold outside or if you’re nervous about shaking bees from packages. Here’s how I do it using a five frame nuc. I attach a piece of 3/8 inch plywood to the bottom of the nuc using a 1 inch nail or brad at each corner. The plywood piece has a hole cut in the center the same size as the syrup can opening on the shipping package.

The bees are given a good, thorough, spritz in the package. Then the feeder can and queen cage are removed. The queen cage is placed in the top center of the nuc between two frames. The nuc’s cover is put on and everything is securely cinched together with a ratcheting cargo strap. It generally takes a day or so for all the bees to migrate up into the nuc. When they are all up inside, the nuc is taken outside and set in place on a bottom board. Sometimes there will be a small cluster remaining around the opening at the bottom. These can be lightly smoked to get them all up inside if desired.  But, I usually don’t worry about it. Also, I usually just leave the plywood piece in place for a few days until it’s warm enough to go into the nuc and release the queen. 

Here’s a picture of the setup in my garage:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i18/dronebee/various/100_0727.jpg

I’ve never hived them that way using a full size hive body, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be done. An inner cover with the center opening could just as well be tacked to the bottom of a hive body.

Of course it should go with saying that you do need to be certain all other openings in the nuc or hive body are closed off before hiving your bees indoors this way.

[Agility Mom]

Neat idea! The bees don't have the excitement of being shaken around.

[buzzbee]

That's pretty clever,I think!

[Cindi]

Dick, they say that beekeepers are the master of invention, and you certainly get the award for that, hee, hee.  Good job.  You live in the far north where it is extremely cold and you must get your package bees started, probably long before that snow flies away, hee, hee.  Your method looks excellent and I am very impressed.  Now I think that you have set a trend for many of us that have the weather so cold that it is hard to work outside to hive packages, yeah!!!  Good for you.

I am curious now.  What is your weather like, now...when will the bees be able to fly?  Tell us a little, I am that nosey gal, you know that, hee, hee.  Have the best of this beautiful day, Cindi

[Dick Allen]

Cindi, it was 32º F (that's 0º C for you Canadians :) ) with a stiff breeze blowing when my packages arrived. They could have stayed in their packages for a few days of course, but I usually like to get them hived and outside as soon as possible. This way there are no bees flying or crawling up the sides of the boxes. No bee stings. And, since I live in the city, no scared neighbors watching as I shake those awful flying stinging bugs into a hive. ;)  I generally nuc them first for easy transport to other locations as soon as I find the queen laying.

It warmed up a few days after I nuc'd the bees and some were bringing back willow pollen as soon as they were taken outside. But then it snowed a foot on the 25th. Most of that's melted now, and the bees have been working. The queens are all laying so I'll move some of my nucs out of town in a few more days and put them into hive bodies.

[Michael Bush]

I like it.  Maybe someone should sell those "Package introduction boards".

[DaveKow]

I really like that idea.  I was wondering at what temp. your garage is kept.

[Dick Allen]

Not sure about the garage temperature. Usually it's heated simply from the waste heat off my furnace and hot water heater. I think it was somewhere in the 60º F region.

[DaveKow]

Thanks Dick.  So, this could be done in a basement?  I think my basement is about that temp. when it is cold around here.

Dave

[Frantz]

Great idea Dick. Thanks for the tip. I will definately use that approach being in a cold area myself.
Frantz