[tonysea]

OK,ive watched enough youtube videos to sink a battleship on installing a package.There are quite a few different ways it seems,some make sense to me others,not so sure about.Ive got the install of her majesty part down but ive seen bang and dump method,spray,dont spray,remove entrance reducer and let the girls walk through the front door and a few ways that just seem wrong . Im thinking (i know, scary) would this work?...install the queen as everyone seems to do the same rubber bands, thumb tacks,small nails however,but instead of beating my new girls up would it work if i left the front door grassed or just plain closed and just placed my bees on top of the frames,box an all and put a deep over the package and then both cover for say a 24 hour period until all the girls are down in the frames then remove the deep once everyone is settled.Am i being over protective?

 

[Honey-4-All]

Every, and I mean every move in beekeeping is dependent on all the inputs. Time, temperature,forecasts, etc............. Every move you make needs to consider the conditions now, in an hour, in a day, and out in the distance. The answer is going to float and you need to dance in a commiserate fashion. What you plan on doing might need to bee adjusted according to the conditions at the time of pour!!!!!!!

 

[bison]

I've seen somewhat similar techniques, once seeing someone who just put the package inside the single deep, leaving out enough frames so that it fit in. Waited a day till they were all out, then opened the hive, removed the empty package, and inserted the rest of the frames.

Frankly seems like a lot of extra work for little or no gain. Bees are tough - just consider what they go thru on a sugar shake without being harmed. I'd just go with the "slam and dump" method and not try to anthropomorphize .

 

[Bees of SC]

slam and dump--BAD-be nice to your girls--take the time-be bad to your girls and they will be gone the first time they get a chance..

 

[burns375]

imo doesn't matter too much. Pull the corks, hang the queen in the center for slow release. Dump bees ontop of her. Put feed on the hive.

If you don't want to bang the rest of the bees out..including the dead ones.... pull 5 or so frames and put the package inside the box. Pull it out in 2 days confirm the queen was released and hope for the best.

If its cold consider closing the top entrance, reducing the bottom entrance and adding a follower board.

 

[tonysea]

Thanks all,not sure i made myself clear,im not getting the girls until April,thanks for the help everyone,im sure i will be back soon with more questions

 

[bison]

slam and dump--BAD-be nice to your girls--take the time-be bad to your girls and they will be gone the first time they get a chance..

I've never had a problem doing this. OK, "slam" is an exaggeration, but a good whack to move them to the bottom of the package doesn't seem to leave them with a grudge.

 

[Honey-4-All]

Couple simple rules to package dumps. not complete but helpful.

1.If they are cold warm them up before dumping.
2.Feed before dumping as necessary
3.you can hack and wack but don't smash
4. Keep them out of the wind, close em up quick if so
5. Feed over the top if they go in with empty stomachs...... especially when cold outside.
6. Make sure the bees are around or over the queen before closeup... Don't expect them to "find" her later.
7. Often a space ring or super used as a space for them to lay in before they "crawl in" will give you a chance to "close up" without smashing them.
8. Don't close them up if its flying weather
9. if you are pouring more than one wait till dusk if you want to reduce drift.
10. Be patient on the queen release. Packages that sit on the cages queen 2-3 days and then have sugar releases have a better take rate than hand releases.

Let the disagreements begin: :waiting:

 

[Mr.Beeman]

I've done it both ways. They both work equally.
IF you decide to allow the bees to crawl down, make sure the opening of the package is above/near the queen cage. It can still get cold enough (here anyway) to kill the queen if there is no contact with her bees.
I've seen it snow the last weekend of April before.

By all means have fun.

 

[Ddawg]

I was in your shoes a couple years ago... I remember watching all the videos. Don't worry it's not to hard, and I think everyone has a different method.

I've never had a problem doing this. OK, "slam" is an exaggeration, but a good whack to move them to the bottom of the package doesn't seem to leave them with a grudge.

This is how I've installed all my packages too, and I spray with sugar water mixed with a little Honey B Healthy before I knock em to the bottom and dump. Never had a problem.

Good Luck
DD

 

[Gus979]

,spray,dont spray,

In my limited opinion, spray

Maybe someone who knows what they are doing doesn't have to spray...last year was my first install and I wanted to be natural and nice to the bees by not spraying. I was stung several times. A few times when I bent down slightly and the back of my jacket climbed up. I had several bees get into my suit while installing and my dad filmed a good majority of it in good cheer. The queen cage also dropped when I attempted to put it between two frames. It was the the first day I had ever handled or really seen live honey bees and I had to reach my hand down through a giant agitated and confused mass of bees to grab that cage, without gloves of course, because I am totally manly and all the manly cool beekeepers don't wear gloves. "I'll be fine," I thought, "bees are really gentle misunderstood creatures," I thought. Bam! Two stings on my hand, one directly on the finger. When I was done with the install and back in the house I realized that there were still bees inside of my suit...after I had it taken off. I'm still beekeeping, but yeah, dark days in the world of the beginner.

Spray

 

[WBVC]

In my limited opinion, spray

Maybe someone who knows what they are doing doesn't have to spray...last year was my first install and I wanted to be natural and nice to the bees by not spraying. I was stung several times. A few times when I bent down slightly and the back of my jacket climbed up. I had several bees get into my suit while installing and my dad filmed a good majority of it in good cheer. The queen cage also dropped when I attempted to put it between two frames. It was the the first day I had ever handled or really seen live honey bees and I had to reach my hand down through a giant agitated and confused mass of bees to grab that cage, without gloves of course, because I am totally manly and all the manly cool beekeepers don't wear gloves. "I'll be fine," I thought, "bees are really gentle misunderstood creatures," I thought. Bam! Two stings on my hand, one directly on the finger. When I was done with the install and back in the house I realized that there were still bees inside of my suit...after I had it taken off. I'm still beekeeping, but yeah, dark days in the world of the beginner.

Spray

I guess we were lucky.
Installed on a warmish evening with no wind. Had put syrup into frame feeder...syrup was tepid...not cold. We everted the package, gave it a tap and the bees tumbled into the hive. I had left out the centre 3 frames...put them in after bees were dumped. Wedged queen cage face up between the frames. Reduced entrance to 50%. Three days later queens were out and bees were drawing comb.

 

[tonysea]

Thanks Gus,your post made me laugh,sorry but I did..my wife has made sure I get a suit and vial,she says she doesn't want a rendition of riverdance on crack in the backyard

 

[tonysea]

Thank you everyone for the help...getting bee yard ready,ive heard V mites don't care for lavender,would it be a good idea to plant say a couple dozen around or under my hives?