removing attendants from cage

bee-nuts · July 24, 2010, 05:18:31 AM

How do you remove the attendants from cage without getting stung or the queen flying away? I have just left them in before and most queens were excepted. I have received some queens that are supposed to be mite resistant and I cant just pick up some more if they get killed. I waited a long time to get these and I dont want to lose half of them. I have read sprinkling a bit of Cinnamon on cage helps if you put cage in with attendants. Does it make a big difference one way or another if you dont remove the attendants?

Thanks for any suggestions or tips

bee-nuts

manfre · July 24, 2010, 07:32:20 PM

If you don't remove the attendants, make sure candy side is up. Otherwise the attendants could die and block the exit.

bee-nuts · July 25, 2010, 12:14:12 AM

Quote from: manfre on July 24, 2010, 07:32:20 PM
If you don't remove the attendants, make sure candy side is up. Otherwise the attendants could die and block the exit.

whoops!!

bee-nuts · July 27, 2010, 05:34:42 AM

Can anyone tell me there results with introducing queens with attendants included? I have done so before with ok results but I usually get them by themselfs from a local supplier. Im hoping they are excepted like the last ones I got.

I would still appreciate some advice or how you go about removing attendants from cage without losing queen. Im sure you just get er done but if there is any tricks I would like to know for next time around. Im a bit uncomfortable with the idea. Do the attendants like to sting readily? Im thinking you could make some kind of contraption so you could let one bee come out at a time into another cage or something, release it if its not the queen and when the queen comes out you keep her in it and then let the rest out, then return the queen. I hope I dont lose most of em. Im very exited about these queens and cant wait to see how mite resistant they really are. I sure hope they are the real deal.

Thanks
bee nuts

annette · July 27, 2010, 09:07:39 PM

I introduce them with the attendant's. Not sure if they get killed, but my queens are in the hives looking good.

schawee · July 28, 2010, 12:55:59 AM

same here, my queens are doing just fine. ...schawee

bee-nuts · July 28, 2010, 03:32:47 AM

Thanks, that makes me feel a little better!!

Kathyp · July 29, 2010, 02:59:55 PM

don't buy queens very often, but i leave attendants also.

doak · July 29, 2010, 10:54:25 PM

Most times the attendant bees have acquired the smell of the colony by the time they chew their way out,and if they do not die will be accepted by the colony.
Removing the attendant bees from a queen cage is just more worthless work. Just make sure the cage is situated so any that die don't block the exit hole.

To remove the tenant bees will only slow the process of the candy plug being chewed away from the inside.

Let's just make sure we under stand the difference between attendant bees in a queen cage and the one's that tend to the queen in a colony environment.

From some of the post here lately it appears the heat is getting to some People. :roll: :)doak