[Mike Snodgrass]

Just hived a package today that didnt have any attendants in it. New to this so all i have to go by is what was said at beek class and here! it was a so called california queen cage if that makes any difference? Also was a heck of a lot more bees than a 3lb package...this compared to a "3 lb" package they dumnped in class! Hardly any dead in the bottom either!!! Plus the queen was obviously very healthy the way she was moving around in the cage!

 

[Beeslave]

Some queens will come with the attendants on the outside of the cage. I've never gotten a queen with attendants on the inside and I have used hundreds.

 

[Ravenseye]

It's very common for the queen to be alone inside the cage.

 

[BEES4U]

You probably have a California mini cage.
When a pakage crew goes into the field they bring all their equipment for shaking and filling the cages and they also bring the queen bank so that the operation runs smoothly.
Good luck with your bees,
Ernie

 

[Mike Snodgrass]

Thanks folks..

 

[Beaver Dam]

Over past 3 years of buying queens,from all over USA, never had one without attendents. If they arived alive--I'd bee very suprised.

 

[Michael Bush]

I've never gotten a package with attendants in the queen cage.

 

[USCBeeMan]

Must be a regional thing. Everyone I talk to here always have attendants with the queens. Most queens/packages around here come out of GA.

 

[Batman]

I've only ordered queens once, but they did come with 3 or 4 attendants in each cage. They were purchased thru Kona Queen. I would order from them again and might if 2 of these recently caught swarms don't cool down.

Craig

 

[Michael Bush]

Queens that are not in packages should always have attendants.

 

[Beeslave]

Not when you are getting them in large quantities. The attendants can be on the outside. I always get queens shipped to me in groups of 100 or more. They never have attendants in the cage. If you are getting small numbers of queens then it may be easier for the supplier to have the attendants in with the queen.

 

[valleyman]

Thank you Mr. Bush for another answer. As I was reading the threads I was wondering why the differience, then you answered it. Now the next question. Why attendants without package and none with? I assume I know but you know what assume does.

 

[kiwiBee]

queens need attendants always so if they are in a package the queen will be in her cage in with the bees that make up the package.
If it's just a queen in a cage not part of a package then she has to have the bees inside with her.
Either way she has attendants and as Micheal said if she dosn't she wont last long.
kiwi

 

[Michael Bush]

Basically a queen can't feed herself. The bees outside (as in a package) will feed her through the screen. If there are no bees outside to feed her, then you need bees inside to feed her. Since you have to catch the attendants and put them in the cages, most package producers don't bother with attendants. On the other hand if you have a bunch of queens that you already put the attendants in, it's easier to leave them...

 

[jmgi]

Just hived 10 packages from California yesterday, all packages came with queens inside the packages, but no attendants in the queen cage, also there was no candy for the bees to chew through, just a cork at one end of the cage. I direct released them all, and there was no problem.

 

[Mike S]

I recieved 3 queens about a week ago from Walter T Kelly, all had 4 workers in the cage with each queen, but they were queens only and no packages.

 

[BeeCurious]

I've never gotten a package with attendants in the queen cage.

I had attendants in the queen cage of a package that came from Wilbanks this past weekend. The packages looked great.