Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
tool and pliers, and bring your package to the hive site. If you have one, bring a board
large enough to fit securely on your hive stand to serve as a solid, dry working surface.
Remove the cover, inner cover, and six frames from your eight-frame box. Set the
cover, inner cover, and frames behind the box or to the side. If you are installing more
than one package, prepare all the boxes at the same time.
Set the board next to your hive on the stand, if there's room, or on the ground next to
it.
Position yourself behind the colony into which you plan to install the bees. Make
sure you have all your tools—smoker, hive tool, and feeder. Set the package on the
board, and using your hive tool, remove the cover. You may also need pliers for this.
Remove any protruding nails or staples, and keep the cover close at hand.
Take a look at the opening underneath. You'll see the top of the feeder can, flush with
the surface of the package top. There will also be a slot cut in the top with a metal strip
in it. This strip holds the queen's cage, which is suspended below in the mass of bees. It
also allows you to easily remove the queen's cage. The strip should be long enough to
grasp easily and to hook over the top of a frame.
Lightly mist the bees again. Using the corner of your hive tool, lift up the feeder can.
Some are easy to catch and lift, but some will be a bit below the surface and more dif-
ficult to grasp. If you simply can't catch it, try lifting just a bit and grasping with the
pliers. Hold it with one hand, and grab with your other hand.
Next, lift the package and thump it on the board so all the bees clinging to the feed
can let go and fall to the bottom. Don't worry—they're covered in sugar syrup and don't
care one bit. You may want to lift the can 1″ (2.5 cm) or so and hang on to it while boun-
cing the package. Try lifting and moving the package to make sure you have a secure
grip. When comfortable, lift the package 1' (0.3 m) or so and thump. Lift out the can, set
it on the board, and slide out the queen's cage—without dropping her. Cover the hole
in the package with the cover. Check to make sure the queen is alive and moving, and
then put her cage into your pocket to make sure she stays warm.
Check to make sure the frames have been removed and that you have placed the
wooden entrance reducer in the box into which you are going to dump the bees. Make
sure the box that is going to go on top of the bottom box is close by, along with the inner
cover that will go on the new colony.
When you're ready, you're going to thump the package again, then remove the cover
and pour the bees into the cavity in the box created when you removed frames. Pour as
many as you can—shake them a little, but not much—and set the package, still contain-
ing a few bees, in front of the colony. This action will put some bees in the air, but don't
be concerned. They are homeless, very confused, and not likely to cause you harm.