Tips for New Bee Installation

​It was a great day at the farm for our 2024 Bee Package Pickup. Here is a quick recap of tips for installing your new bees. 

When to install
If possible, install package bees in the late afternoon or early evening when there is less chance of flight. 

• Prepare the package
  Lightly mist the bees with sugar water.
• Prepare the hive
  Remove the feed can and queen cage, and set the cage aside in a safe place. 
• Install the package
  Gently pull the queen cage out of the package and set it in between the tops of two frames, angle the hole towards the top. Next, turn the  bee package upside down and shake it to help the bees fall into the hive. You may need to strike the side of the package to help move the bees into the hive. Don't worry if a few bees are still in the package box. Place the package boxes on top of the bee hive or near the hive entrance so straggler bees will find their way out of the package box and into the hive.
• Inspect the colony
  Five days after installing the package, inspect that the queen is alive and has been released. Inspect again after another five days to verify that the queen has begun laying eggs. Eggs appear as small grains of rice standing up in the center of cells. If necessary, add sugar syrup again. 

---