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I installed my first ever package last night and thought it went okay. The bees had been in the package since last Monday so I removed the cork from the queen cage completely instead of just exposing the candy. I did still put the cage in the hive though because it was dark and I just couldn't see the queen to see whether she had left the cage yet. There were a few stragglers in the package so I left the package near the hive entrance in hopes that those bees would find their way to their new home. When I woke up this morning it looked like there were still some bees in the package, but I was in a hurry to get some cultures growing in my lab so I figured I'd take a look at the package when I got home from work. It started raining before I got home and when I went out to check on the package, it appears that almost all the bees left the hive over the course of the day and returned to the package. And then died in the rain. I did see a few crawling still so I took the package and put it under the covered part of my porch. I also put some syrup on a plate next to it in hopes that they would find it.
Anyway, I'm not 100% sure that the bees are dead so I was hoping some of you could offer some advice on what to do with them.
Further information that seems relevant:
The low tonight is 50 and that appears to be the coldest night this week.
The forecast also shows rain for the next two days straight, so I don't know if I should open the hive at all.
I do not have a garage.
I do have some of those Wall-O-Waters that I use to protect my seedlings when I first put them out in the garden.
I took a quick peek under the top cover of the hive to see if there were any bees in the top feeder: I saw two.
I used a screened bottom board on this hive.
Anyway, I'm not 100% sure that the bees are dead so I was hoping some of you could offer some advice on what to do with them.
Further information that seems relevant:
The low tonight is 50 and that appears to be the coldest night this week.
The forecast also shows rain for the next two days straight, so I don't know if I should open the hive at all.
I do not have a garage.
I do have some of those Wall-O-Waters that I use to protect my seedlings when I first put them out in the garden.
I took a quick peek under the top cover of the hive to see if there were any bees in the top feeder: I saw two.
I used a screened bottom board on this hive.