Install a package of bees. 17Mar2024

Walk through for installing packaged bees into a hive:

1) Receive notice of arrival of package of bees.
2) Retrieve package of bees and Queen from Post Office.
3) Take bees home.
4) Go over checklist of items required.
a) Package of Bees
b) Veil and Hat
c) Bee Jacket
d) Gloves
e) Three quarts of syrup – 1:1 ratio sugar to water
i) Two each, quart size jars filled with syrup
ii) One each, sprayer, filled with syrup
f) Toothpick
g) One bit of marshmallow
h) One large pinch of grass
i) Wire cutter
j) Screwdriver, flat tip
k) Needle nose plyers
l) Standard plyers
m) Frame grip
n) Boardman Feeders, two each
5) Transport yourself, the bees, and all needed items to the beehive.
6) Remove the top Tin Lid of the hive
7) Remover the first inner cover
8) Remove desiccant bag and pot
9) Examine the bottom opening of the hive, if closed, open it.
10) Place an opening reducer board, use the smallest opening, to front of hive
11) Place a pinch of grass in the opening at front of hive
12) Spray syrup on both sides of all ten frames
13) Don your veiled jacket, gloves are optional
14) Give the bees one or two spritzes of syrup
15) Remove staples from package lid
16) Set lid aside, turn package so that you can grasp can with the aid of gravity,
avoid pulling the can completely out.
17) Pick up the Package lid you had set aside and as you lift out the feeder can
slide the lid back on the package.
18) Set the feeder can aside
19) Carefully un-staple the strap holding the queen cage, do not drop the queen
cage into the mass of worker bees.
20) Slide the package lid open enough to pull the queen cage out, close the lid.
21) Examine the queen cage; identify the cork that has a candy plug behind it,
remove that cork from the queen cage.
22) Place the queen cage in the plastic queen cage hanger, wire mess down.
23) Never place the queen cage with the opening down, because a dead nurse bee
could block the queen from exiting, dooming the hive.
24) Remove one frame from the center of the hive box
25) Place the queen between two frames in the center of the hive
26) Slide frames to the center, replace frame at outer edge
27) Place two Boardman feeders in the hive and invert to gravity activate
28) Place the package in the top hive box.
29) Give the worker bees another spritz of syrup, then open the package.
30) Close hive with second inner cover.
31) Place top Tin cover on hive to seal the top
32) You are done for now.
33) Clean up your tools and other items.

17 March 2024