I installed two new packages today, these are my first bees ever. I went back late this afternoon and opened it to look around to make sure everything was ok, there seems to be a lot of bees under the front of the hive( a hundred or so). Will they eventually work there way in, I installed the package around 2pm this afternoon.
Installed two packages today
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I installed packages whose behaviour was different from that but mine sorted themselves out quite quickly. I expect yours will too. Did you release your Queens or are letting the bees do that over the next few days? What was the weather like when you released them? Is there a sbb and if so is the screen open?
I am certain more experienced beeks will give you better replies shortly
I am certain more experienced beeks will give you better replies shortly
Congrats on the new bees!
Sometimes you get some 'confused' bees. One of my recent packages balled 100% under the bottom board for 1 full day. I ended up putting another bottom board on the ground and 'relocated' the ball/hive onto that. Yesterday I was going to add some sugar water (using empty deep on top of inner cover) and found that the bees had made their home under the lid...quite the mess they made.
Moral, bees will be bees. You may have to relocate them if they don't figure out the hive is supposed to be their home.
Sometimes you get some 'confused' bees. One of my recent packages balled 100% under the bottom board for 1 full day. I ended up putting another bottom board on the ground and 'relocated' the ball/hive onto that. Yesterday I was going to add some sugar water (using empty deep on top of inner cover) and found that the bees had made their home under the lid...quite the mess they made.
Moral, bees will be bees. You may have to relocate them if they don't figure out the hive is supposed to be their home.
I did not release the queen, i plan on letting the other bees release her, the weather was overcast. I do have screened bottom boards, and they are open, guess i will have to wait till they figure out where they belong before I can put the board in it.
Colby, I'd put the slides in the screened bottom boards while their getting settled. They don't really like alll that light coming in and they could abscond. Wait a couple weeks before you take the slides out. I'd also take what you can off the screen back into the hive when you close the bottom board...
I had the board in on my sbb for the packages. Perhaps if you scoop them into the hive and insert the board they will get the idea. I expect as long as the Queen is inside they will figure it out.
Have fun with your bees.
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Colby the pics show at this stage most all is as it should be.
However bees do not understand mesh. The ones under the hive will spend their energy trying to get through the mesh and can die before they find the correct way in. If you wish to save those ones, best plan is remove them & dump on the front entrance so they can walk in. The other advice also is correct that for now anyway, the bees will be happier with the mesh blocked off, if you have the technology to do that.
For me anyway, my advice to new beekeepers installing packages is to use solid bottom boards rather than screened ones to avoid these problems, the screen, if you wish, can come later.
But all else looks how it should be.
Also as per other advice, leave them alone for 2 weeks, other than to replace syrup.
Pretty sure the queens are OK in both hives, we know that cos if one of them was queenless a lot of the bees would have drifted to the other hive.
There's a few other issues can happen down the track with packages such as queen supersedure but my feeling is the future looks bright for you 2 hives.
However bees do not understand mesh. The ones under the hive will spend their energy trying to get through the mesh and can die before they find the correct way in. If you wish to save those ones, best plan is remove them & dump on the front entrance so they can walk in. The other advice also is correct that for now anyway, the bees will be happier with the mesh blocked off, if you have the technology to do that.
For me anyway, my advice to new beekeepers installing packages is to use solid bottom boards rather than screened ones to avoid these problems, the screen, if you wish, can come later.
But all else looks how it should be.
Also as per other advice, leave them alone for 2 weeks, other than to replace syrup.
Pretty sure the queens are OK in both hives, we know that cos if one of them was queenless a lot of the bees would have drifted to the other hive.
There's a few other issues can happen down the track with packages such as queen supersedure but my feeling is the future looks bright for you 2 hives.
Put the boards in SBB like suggested, the bees had gone into the hive in an hour or so. I don't plan on going back to them until Tuesday or Wednesday to see if they need syrup and to check and see if the queen has been released. Thanks for the replies.
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That's the main reason I prefer solid bottom boards. The queens scent will waft through the bottom screen and the bees figure they HAVE to go through the screen. Heard it many times.
That amount of syrup will last a week or better. lol
Good luck with your new hobby.
That amount of syrup will last a week or better. lol
Good luck with your new hobby.
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