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Releasing the Queen

13K views 30 replies 11 participants last post by  shannonswyatt 
#1 ·
I am a first year beekeeper. I do not know anyone else with TBH in my area, so I am doing my best to get ready from books and the internet. I will be getting my package bees in less than a month. Everything I have read has said to leave the queen in her cage and just let the workers free her, at least until I started reading on here. I don't want to start off with bad comb, but I am worried about the workers balling the queen when they have not become accustomed to her, yet. Are there signs I need to look for in the package to make sure they won't kill her, or something else I might do to prevent any aggression towards her?
 
#2 ·
In my experience, the bees will or won't stay, and releasing the queen directly has nothing to do with it. The quality of the queen, I think, has everything to do with it. Hanging the cage from the frames leads to combs that are messed up and one messed up comb leads to more messed up comb. I direct release the queen. Shake the bees in the bottom, pop the cork with your finger over it to block the queen, and lay the cage on top of the pile of bees on the bottom, and let go and put in the bars.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beespackages.htm#donthangqueencage
 
#3 ·
I was wondering if this procedure would be different for "new wood" hives? (A hive that has never held bees and has no drawn comb available in it)

Is there something you would recommend to increase the likelihood of them staying? Obviously if the Queen is in the will stay longer and possibly decide the TBH isnt a bad place once the Queen is released, but at the risk of bad combs.

Brett
 
#4 ·
I didn't think about the new hive aspect of things. Last month at the bee club they were talking about swarm traps and using essential oils to entice the bees to take up residence. Would lacing the hives with mint oil or lemon grass oil possibly encourage the package to set up residence?
I have decided I am going to ask the local supplier I am getting my packages where exactly they are coming from and how long they most likely will be in the package before I ever see them.
 
#12 ·
i install my packages an hour or two before sunset this way they don't have time to leave before it gets dark.some will start flying but that's OK. i also direct release my queens.by the morning they should have some comb built since you have a top bar hive you can put the feeder can inside over night.
 
#17 ·
If I direct release her I usually remove the cage, but I trust my instincts and have direct released a lot of queens. Sometimes, still, she flies. The reason I recommend leaving the cage is so she runs out after you're not over her scaring her, and if you are quick maybe after you get the bars put back in. They will take some interest in the cage, but will be more interested in the queen who left her smell there. She will smell more strongly than the cage.
 
#20 ·
How would you all recommend releasing a queen in an established top bar hive that already has approx 5/8 of a hive of drawn comb?

I did an inspection yesterday and found no brood. It's my fault because I tried to do a split about a month and a half ago. For one, I was overconfident it wouldn't get cold again here Florida. Also, I'm pretty sure I mistakenly included the queen in the new hive.

I understand that there could possibly be a queen in the original hive that they raised after I mistakenly took
their queen, but I didn't see her and I don't want to take that chance.
 
#23 ·
Gotcha. I wouldn't attach, just because I think they would end up making a mess of it if you didn't get it out soon. Life seems to get in the way of bee keeping, and things you intend to do in two days happen in two weeks. And I'm also on the lazy side.

If they didn't release her in a couple days you could free release her. They should be used to her at that point. After reading that Michael Bush free-releases queens with packages I'm thinking that isn't a bad way to go.
 
#28 ·
so I was talking to an old beekeeper tonight at our local meeting and he told me his way to direct release the Queen. He just pulls the plug and holds his finger over the hole then he holds the Queen cage up to the Hive opening and basically waits for her to be going the wrong way, moves his finger, and she will turn around and walk right into the hive since there's no other way to go she doesn't fly away. That was his way of direct release and he says he's never lost a queen yet...

It sounds pretty good and given the way my top bar is set up ( I have 1 inch holes for entrances) I plan to try this technique.
 
#29 ·
We had a speaker at our club last night and what he does is he has made a bigger 5 sided queen cage, about a half inch think and about 6x6 that he puts the queen under and then she is on comb, just push it in the comb a bit to stay in place. This way she can start to lay right away. I had never heard of that method before.
 
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