How To Install a Mated a Queen

Successfully installing a mated queen into a small split, essentially creating a nucleus colony (a.k.a. a nuc).

00:00 - Poking hole in candy plug.

01:55 - Installing the queen cage.

The cage should be further down the frames, in the middle, between two frames of brood, but in this case I got lucky and the queen didn't get cold.

03:12 - Five days later, queen cage is empty.

05:00 - Ten days later, the queen is laying.

Even after the queen is laying, the colony might still decide to replace her if they don't like the smell of her brood (her eggs).

05:47 - Check for queen cells before adding queen next time.

It's best not to go anywhere near the hive for a week because knew queens are easily unsettled by disruptions, which can then lead the colony to reject and supercede the queen.

If I were to do this again, I would want 3-4 times as many bees in the hive, more capped brood and more nurse bees. More nurse bees and emerging brood will always increase the chances of acceptable and success.

I would give them a jar feeder of thick syrup. I would reduce the hive entrance too.

The final note at the end about checking for queen cells is important. For instance, to requeen an old colony where the queen was removed by the beekeeper for whatever reason, it's possible the bees could have started to make emergency queen cells in the time that the colony was queenless. Some beekeepers say to wait at least 24 hours after removing the queen before adding a new queen, but other say the colony will know it's queenless within hours, at which time a new queen can be added before there's time for the bees to start making new queen cells.

Personally, I'd remove the old queen in the morning and add the new queen in the afternoon, about 4 hours later. I also don't think I'd poke a hole in the candy plug either. Unless it's hard as rock (which is the case sometimes), the bees will get through it.

Queen cells are as good as queen, so any new queen added will be killed. Hence, check for queen cells.