[kejramer]

Went out to my new package today, installed this passed Saturday.
I put the cage candy down and there was a dead bee in the candy plug.
Had read here and on Mr Bush's site about releasing the Queen. But by the time I got the cork out bees were on the outside on the cage and my hand.
So ..held my finger over the cork hole pushed it in to the entrance, now more bees on cage and a nervous keep. I panicked a little and moved the cage Queen got out and took flight. You all saw this coming!:doh:
Well, found her on the ground in front of the hive picked her up and she took off again. I was about to give up when I noticed bees “fighting” right next to my leg, workers and the Queen. Picked her up again and with the help of the cage got here close to the entrance. The workers mobbed her at the entrance.
Finally I keep the cage pushed up to the entrance and I lost her in the mob, I think she went in the box.
So I think all is well for now, guess operator error again. Where would a Queen fly off to had I not recaptured her, would she find her way into the hive? Or just be lost.
Keith

 

[Carl F]

She would probably come back to the hive but as many an old beek has told me, they don't always do things the way the book says they're supposed to...

Try to leave her alone for a week and then go check for eggs and some developing larvae. If you find any, you're good to go.

 

[BeeAware]

If you leave the attendent bees in the queen cage, install it candy side up so that dead bees can't block the exit.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Since she was released into a group of bees that were, "mobbing her" I might expect that was the end of her. Hope I'm wrong; many times if the queen has been in her cage with her package for a long enough time she may already be accepted, though I've never seen accepting bees mob a queen.

 

[vanwinkeld]

i'll be surprised if she's still alive unless the bees that were mobbing her (also called balling) were from another hive. this was a package so the queen should be mated and you should se eggs in a few days, if you don't find another queen soon or dump the bees into another nearby hive. if you do dump the bees into another hive cage the queen or otherwise separate her from those bees or they are liable to kill her too.

 

[JPK]

"balling" is not always a sign of aggression, it can be protective....you need to look more closely at their behavior.

 

[Beeslave]

Order another queen.

 

[tnmx]

Give us an update in a few days when you open the hive. You will have to look close for the eggs.

 

[kejramer]

Will do, may look in on Sunday. Not sure if balling is what workes were doing. Queen was with the package for 5 days when I relased here. Could the workers be ready for a queen? The was brand new comb drawn ready for laying.
When will the buzz the girls make to indicate no queen start?
Keith

 

[kejramer]

Update; Opened my new package hive today. Found the queen!
As a reminder I released the queen early this week. Did not know if she would be recived or killed. I put in some honey frames and some frames with brood in with some foundationless frames to give them a jump start.
I my first hive (where I got the drawn frames) was packed with honey in the brood box. I felt like I need to open the brood to prevent a swarm.
I said all that because I found queen cells on one of the frames from my first hive. I am sure that the queen cells came over with drawn frames. What to do with the queen cells?
Thanks