Idea for installing packages

[Lauri]

I have only purchased nucs in the past and will be getting a few packages on Thursday. After reading many posts here about installing problems, I had a plan of what I though would work well and wanted to run it by you all before jumping in.
I have the advantage of having drawn out frames, and plan to uncage the queen, mark her and install her on the frame comb under an aprox 3"x3" hardware cloth #8 screen. Then dump the bees in the hive with her. Turning her loose when she is accepted. I have never seen any mention this method.Seems like it would work well and get several things accomplished.(Get her marked, let her feed, let her start laying, aviod obsconding, etc)

The reason I like marked queens is of course they are crazy easy to find, but I want to know when a queen is superceded and how old she is.

Here is what I am talking about, except this is a new mated queen being installed in an already occupied hive. But you see the cage and application.



Thank you for your input.
Lauri

[Michael Bush]

I suppose a "nuc" has many definitions, but mine would be that the queen already lives there...

[Brandy]

I know Glenns recommends introducing Breeder Queens this way, but with a package the only thing holding that package of bees together is the queen in her cage. If you move the queen under the screen the package bees are not really able to cluster around her or feed her as easily etc.. Depending on how much space you give the frames beside the hardware cloth the bees may be able to/or not reach her. But it also means that you'll have to disturb them again to let the queen out from under the screen. I'd just put her back in the queen cage with some candy and let the bees release her undisturbed in 4-5 days. Just my .02's!

[Lauri]

Thanks Brandy! That is a good point. I did plan to make the cages smaller than the one shown and may try just one to see how it works.
Thanks again.
Lauri

[Jim Given]

Plus you might end up with comb built on that enclosure and create cross comb.