[tonysea]

ok,im a newbe so please bear with me,i got my first package Friday and installed it that evening,here is where Ive messed up,and i knew i had,i put an empty deep on top of a framed deep (i was told that would help from bees flying off),, inner cover next (its not notched) and then my top feeder,then the outer cover,hopefully you guys can tell the way i stacked. The weather has been nasty last couple days rainy and cold,so today i went to see if my queen is out today and i have two clusters of bees, one down in the frames where they should be but here is the kicker, i have another under my inner cover,do i have two queens???? or is it just my fault for not removing that top box later that first night and its just a bee space goof on my part,i feel stupid for doing that.Its supposed to be nice tomorrow so i will suit up and shake the bees of the inner cover,remove that empty box and probably my inner cover also,please help,any advice would be greatly appreciated,thanks

 

[beehonest]

No, it takes them a month to make a queen. It sounds like they are up there to enter into the hole to get to the feeder. Is it a hive top feeder like the ones Mann lake sells? Just trying to figure out why you have the inner cover under the hive top? I would take the extra deep off the top for sure. You won't need that untill they have all but three frames filled out. Depending on what type of feeder you have you don't need an inner cover. The Mann Lake type they will build burr comb in if you don't put the inner cover on the bottom side, but it's no big deal you can let them build.

 

[tonysea]

i was worried about them building under the feeder and yes its a mann lake that's why i had the inner cover under it,so its not that big a deal if they do? Reason the two queen ?..i heard its possible in a package sometimes

 

[tonysea]

So am i good suiting up, smoke them a little, shake them down in the frames, remove the queen cage, empty deep box and inner cover,anything else im missing?..

 

[G3farms]

My guess would be the bees in the bottom box are around the queen that is still in the cage.

Bees hanging from the bottom of the feeder are building comb.

 

[psfred]

I would just lift off the extra box and set it aside (on top of the outer cover upside down on the ground for instance), pull the queen cage, and then take the inner cover off the box, bees included, and set it slowly down on the box with frames. Or shake them in, either will work.

Any bees left outside will quickly find their way back in.

You do need to get that extra empty box off there, they will start making comb on the bottom of the feeder or inner cover if you leave them the space. In fact, that's probably what they are doing up there right now.

Peter

 

[tonysea]

do you think she is still in there,i even gave the candy a poke with a finishing nail to try and speed up her release

My guess would be the bees in the bottom box are around the queen that is still in the cage.

Bees hanging from the bottom of the feeder are building comb.

 

[tonysea]

I would just lift off the extra box and set it aside (on top of the outer cover upside down on the ground for instance), pull the queen cage, and then take the inner cover off the box, bees included, and set it slowly down on the box with frames. Or shake them in, either will work.

Any bees left outside will quickly find their way back in.

You do need to get that extra empty box off there, they will start making comb on the bottom of the feeder or inner cover if you leave them the space. In fact, that's probably what they are doing up there right now.

Peter

thanks pete,thats a great idea

 

[tonysea]

Thank you everyone( Pete especially) all went well i did remove the extra box,her majesty was still in her cage so i released her by hand it was a nervous but exhilarating experience.The girls are out doing there thing... all is good,thank you again everyone.