First install

[SeanStuart]

Hey, I put my first package in today, and after shaking them in, I still had a lot on the box. Should I shake more vigorously next time, or is this about avg?
Thanks
First package.jpg
Not sure why the pic is so small, but I think you can see ok. About the same number inside.

[Jeff F.]

Spray them lightly with sugar water next time and give them a firm bang against the top of the hive then shake 'em in. Put the remaining bees still in the box in front of the hive and they'll head in once a few of the girls start fanning pherenomes from the entrance.

Jeff

[Michael Bush]

Slam it down to knock them all loose and pour them out. Rinse and repeat... several times. You will never get all of them but you should be able to get almost all of them.

[SeanStuart]

OK, number two today - more vigor!

[throrope]

Last time I pulled enough frames to put the package inside the hive, hung the cage, dumped the girls on top and let the rest climb out of the package inside the hive. Returned a day or so later, replaced the empty package with frames and let them go about their business.

An old codger dumps them in, sets the queen cage next to the entrance, puts the package with the remaining next to the hive and lets them find their way.

More than one way to do it. As long as the job gets done, it's right.

[SeanStuart]

Thanks, They all seemed to find there way in. Different question.

I installed on Saturday around 3 PM, direct released the queen which seemed to go right down into the mass. Monday morning it is about 65*F at 6:30AM and I have this:
Bs.jpg
It looks like about 1/4 to 1/3 of the package I installed. Any thoughts?

[Matt Gwinn]

scoop 'em up and put them back in if it's not too late!

[SeanStuart]

I didn't have time, bummer. I was on my way out to work. This afternoon they seemed ok, but a bit of wrestling at the opening, so I closed it off to about inch and a half.

Hope all those didn't leave. especially hope they didn't leave with the queen. I will not get to open it up until Sat.

I left 10 bars before the follower. I guess I'll find out Sat.

[mrobinson]

Someone described it as "like trying to get a pick out of a guitar." Yup, I can relate to that.

What I did, first, was to whack the box against the ground firmly, to drop all the bees to the bottom of the box. I did this again after removing the can (holding the wooden panel in place). Then, dump as many as would go, twisting the box this way and that. I then whacked the corner of the box against the ground (so as to avoid squishing anybody) and actually repeated that process three times. Then, I set the box with the remaining few bees on the ground in front of the hive.

In the end, I think, all of 'em are gonna go to where the queen is, which is, "inside." By the end of the third day, the box was empty and forgotten.

I'm doing TBH's and my entrance right now consists of one 1/2" hole. (There are three openings and the other two remain corked.) The bees are quite busy nonetheless. I figure that one small opening is both perfectly functional and easy to defend. The girls seem to agree.