[cblakely]

I just picked up 3 packages. It is 40 degrees F out and raining now. Right now they are in the trunk of my car in the garage. I am thinking I should leave them there until tomorrow. It should get up to 55 tomorrow with a 30 percent of rain.

Do you think they will be ok with enough air or should I open it? I was hoping to keep them warm.

 

[Haraga]

Yes you can open the trunk. They make a lot of heat.

 

[cblakely]

Popped the trunk. They are all buzzing. They were pretty quiet when I picked them up. Kind of kills me looking out the window at the rain and my other hives and I can not do anything.

 

[Dave Burrup]

Clay three years ago we had the same problem. We kept them in the guest bathroom tub until the next day. They will be okay in the garage out of the wind, but I would definately feed them. To keep them dry use a pastry brush to brush syrup on the wire on both sides of the cage. Keep them right side up. Our four pound packages were all but out of syrup when we picked them up in Pocatello.
Dave

 

[Michael Bush]

40 F and raining is perfect weather for an install. They will drift very little if at all.

 

[cblakely]

40 F and raining is perfect weather for an install. They will drift very little if at all.

I waited yesterday until it got up to 48 F and sunny. Tried shaking them out on a queen excluder so I could keep the drones out.

The weather was turning bad again, so I ended up not waiting for them all go down. They were gathering on the sides of the empty brood box that I was using above the excluder. After smoking them a bit, I just removed it all and shook them down on the frames (giving up on the drone idea).

I had a few in the air and I did end up with drift. All of my hives are close with 3 over wintered hives, all 6 had bees gathering on the front porch.

An hour later it got cold enough that if they had not made it inside they were unable to. I may have had a 100 or so that were still in the grass. I figure that was acceptable considering the 30,000 or so that were installed.

 

[22DPac]

Why did you not want the drones? Guess that is the first time I have heard of that on a package install.

 

[cblakely]

Why did you not want the drones? Guess that is the first time I have heard of that on a package install.

I just wanted the bee bodies to build up and not interested in the unknown genetics. I run carnies, but bought Italians. Plan to replace the queens before winter.

I am probably a month away from any splits, so it probably just didn't matter.

 

[Beeonefarms]

Thats who the girls snuggle up when its cold.. the big butt drones.
Look forward to hearing more of your successes this year.

Randy Oliver

 

[Michael Bush]

> Tried shaking them out on a queen excluder so I could keep the drones out.

Installing a package is complex enough without making it more complicated. Who cares? They'll all be dead in a few weeks.