What are my options?

[topdog17]

I did a couple of splits yesterday and I was going to install caged queen that I picked up from Bee Weaver in Navasota. Well after travel and rain and waiting on my wife I ran out of daylight. I was able to get one installed on a split I knew was queenless before it got to dark to see good enough. The problem is I am going out of town tomorrow and I have two caged queens that do not have any attendants. How long will they live without attendants? Monday will be the soonest I will be able to get to them. Once I find out which split is queenless I will install the new queens.

Also the hive I know was queenless climbed all over the queen cage when I set it down one the frames. I take that as a good sign they wanted a queen. The other split when I set the queen down on the frame were not interested at all and basically ignored it. Would that suggest they may be queenright?

Thanks for the help!!

[tillie]

Feed each queen some honey and some water.  I put honey on the tip of my finger and held it by the opening in the queen cage - she stuck out her proboscis and sucked it up.  I'll never get over feeding a queen that way.  The water of course wouldn't stay on my fingertip so I put it in a spoon and held it by the slit again and she drank.

Linda T in Atlanta, still in awe

[BjornBee]

Put them on top of the frames of one of the queenless hives. Make sure they can not eat out the candy while you are waiting to install them. This whole process is what they call "banking" queens, and it is done all the time.

[Joe D]

Last week I got a queen from the breeder, by the time I got home it was right at dark.  I placed queen cage at entrance for a few  mins., they paid no attention, opened the hive and held her between 2 frames of bees, no attention, while holding her down in the hive released her.  Checked a few days latter, had brood.  As long as they don't attack her should be ok.  Good luck with your bees.

Joe