Releasing the Queen

Let them handle it.

Three days is a good number. What kind of bees?

they should be fine --3 days isn't to long --bees might have her out when U get back

GregK said:

I just installed packages today. I will be unable to return back to my hives for over 3 days as i will be out of town. Will it be to premature to release the queens on my own after only 1 day, or should I just let them go and check them when I get back? I'm reluctant to let them go and assume they've released her on their own.

Click to expand...

The two packages I'd installed had chewed through the candy and released the queen in less than 24 hours (California Mini Cages w/ extension tube). I think you should pull the cage tomorrow as long as it's not really disruptive to do so. In my top bars I just pulled on bar, took the wire off the screw and closed them back up. Just make sure the queen is out and you should be good to go. You can blow gently on the worker bees in the cage and they should get out of it.

If she's still in there I'd say you should direct release her, but there is probably a lot of debate about that.

Your queens probably spent 1-2 days (?) with the package before arrival. Day 3 would be what many consider fairly safe, as long as they aren't Russians. As JW said, much debate.