Unbox Happiness - A Guide to Installing Package Bees

Hey Bee Enthusiasts! 🌼✨ Ready for a sweet journey with package bees? Check out this video where I spill the beans on handling and installing package bees.

Having installed thousands of packages as a seasoned beekeeper, let me share some pro tips.

Except, I do things with a sprinkle of my own magic:

• Instead of a bulky spray tank, I prefer a handy spray bottle filled with light sugar water. Easy peasy!
• After a week, if my bees show no queen aggression, I gently release her manually.

Just a few spritzes through the screen, followed by some shots into the package after removing the feed can, is enough to keep them grounded. The goal? Keep them from buzzing around too much.

Fast forward a week, and it’s queen time! If the bees aren’t biting or clinging to the queen cage, I consider it a green light. Some bees may huddle around the cage, but they move freely—that’s totally cool.

For queens in a typical 3-hole Benton cage with candy:

• Pop the cork on the candy end.
• Poke a small hole through the candy using a frame nail.
• Let the bees do their thing and release her into her new kingdom.

Not a fan of manual queen releases during installation? I get it. It’s like a box of chocolates; it might work like a charm or not at all, depending on conditions and bee types.

Remember, package bees are a bit stressed out:

• Shaken from multiple hives.
• The queen is a young, skittish debutante unfamiliar with her entourage.
• They’ve endured confinement, strange smells, vibrations, and movements.

So, what’s the buzz on best practices?

• Give them quiet and undisturbed time to bond, around a week or more.
• Keep them well-fed and avoid unnecessary disruptions.
• Use minimal smoke when feeding; too much can ruffle their wings.
• Allow them to go through a brood cycle to mature the queen and become a united colony.

A huge shoutout to beefitter for this insightful video.

Let the beeginnings unfold! ✨

-Cheers, D 🐝🤠