Installing 2 packages

[RCorl]

I am making my first install this Wednesday. I have two TBH side by side. Is there any problem installing the packages one right after the other? Also, I am going to use bucket feeders right behind the follower board, with a notch in the bottom of the board to let the bees through. Is this a good way to feed?

[berkshire bee]

No matter how you do it there will be some drifting. Waiting a day for 2nd install would decrease it, or if there is room to place the open package right into the hives. I made my follower board with a 3/8" gap across the bottom and placed entrance feeders behind it inside the hive and it worked fine. good luck

[SteveBee]

We installed bees in three TBHs right beside each other last year with no apparent problems. We released the queens directly into the bees as soon as the bees were dumped, again with no problems. You'll be surprised how fast they can start building comb. I'd be careful putting anything inside the hive except bees. You can't afford to have them mess up their first combs.

We've fed with a jar feeder inside the hive. Our follower boards have a 1/2" gap under them. I also cut some slots in the end of the hive the size of a Boardman feeder base so we can check and fill the jar from outside the hive but the bees can only get to it from inside the hive. Click this link and scroll down the page till you see it. There is also a picture of a top bar top feeder that will hold three jars on the other link.

http://honeysunapiary.wordpress.com/news/
http://honeysunapiary.wordpress.com/tech-tools/tbh-top/

[berkshire bee]

Quote: "I'd be careful putting anything inside the hive except bees. You can't afford to have them mess up their first combs. We've fed with a jar feeder inside the hive." SteveBee.

So, you do have to be careful, but you can put a feeder inside the hive. I actually used two entrance feeders inside my topbar hive while the bees were building comb and forage was scarce. As long as the bees are building comb and aren't crowded on the front side of the follower board, they don't really think of the back side as hive space. It's similar to putting an empty deep on the inner cover of a lang hive with feeders on top.
By the way, Steve, you have a really nice site. I love the swarm pictures, and I wanted to reach in and grab that chunk of comb honey and eat it.

[SteveBee]

I didn't make myself clear. What I mean is you need to be careful of putting anything on the same side of your follower board as the bees. Putting a feeder on the other side of the follower board is not a problem. I wouldn't put a queen cage or package cage in a hive on the same side with the bees. I wouldn't put a queen cage in the hive, period. Thanks for the compliments on our site.

[buhbee]

I am making my first install this Wednesday. I have two TBH side by side.

RCorl, here is a video of SteveBee and I installing pkgs in adjacent TBH last spring. Good luck.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt9qhuP6k4A

[RCorl]

Thank you all for your input. What I have decided to do is install both packages in the same evening, and to release the queen right into the bees. You experienced guys seem to agree that that's ok to do. I cut the bottom 1/2 inch off of my follower board and will put the feeder right behind it. I hope I am as calm and collected pouring those bees as SteveBee and BuhBee were in the video!
There seems to be a lot of bloom here in SW VA; pear trees, cherry trees, fields of wild mustard, etc. Should I continue to feed syrup with all of the bloom, and if so, for how long?
Thanks again for your advice, and wish me luck tomorrow evening when the bees get here.

[blist]

RCorl: It isn't going to hurt to feed a new package install. They definitely burn a lot drawing out the comb. In general, bees will stop taking the syrup if they have a better source.