Installing Queens

[Jen]

I have 3 queens coming this week. I've been on the Queen Rearing topic, nothing on there about installing queens.

Need help with installing queens Thanks!

[LazyBkpr]

 a little more than 3/4 of the way down the page theres a section called Introducing new queens.   

http://outyard.weebly.com/queens.html

   Check out how everyone else recommends it be done too!!

[Jen]

I will do that! and Thank You!

[pistolpete]

Thanks for that link.  Those are good videos on there.  Long, but informative.

[Jen]

K! I've read the link that LazyBkpr ppsted on this thread. It's informative and respectfully written. Take Care and Time when installing a queen.

However, I still don't know how or where to put the queen cage in the hive?

I'll check out youtube as well ~   

[riverbee]

jen, real quick,  if a benton cage.....here:

Queen Introduction Instructions Glenn Apiaries

if a jz beez cage very similiar.....here:

Queen Introduction Honey Run Apiaries

[Jen]

Your the bees knees riverbee 

[riverbee]

jen,
what i like to do is first lay the queen cage on top the frames to see how the bees respond to her, they will mob the cage, and if you see the bees trying to 'attend' to her and bees fanning, this is a good sign.  if they are trying to stick their butts in the cage to sting her, not a good sign, but can be dealt with.

i have some pix of what i am talking about, will look for them so you have an idea.....

[riverbee]

the bees mobbing the jzbeez cage, happy for a new queen:



do you see the bees attending the queen through the cage, antennae in, not butts, other bees sharing her pheromone through antennae and in the lower left a bee fanning, but you will see this across the frames, 'scent fanning'.

[robo]

Here is my preferred method. It allows you to verify the new queen before dispatching the old queen.  You also get the benefit of two queens laying for a while.

 http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-introduction/

Sent from my YP-G70 using Tapatalk 2

[LazyBkpr]

jen,
what i like to do is first lay the queen cage on top the frames to see how the bees respond to her, they will mob the cage, and if you see the bees trying to 'attend' to her and bees fanning, this is a good sign.  if they are trying to stick their butts in the cage to sting her, not a good sign, but can be dealt with.

i have some pix of what i am talking about, will look for them so you have an idea.....

   Agreed. The light syrup spray will "help" alleviate some of this type of behavior as the bees are more concerned with cleaning themselves, the frames and the cage up.

   At least on my ten frame hives, with the wooden cages put in with the candy plug UP and the screens toward the sides so the bees can access those screens, I can usually compress the wax enough to allow normal ten frame spacing. If thats not possible leaving one of the side frames out is fine. After four or five days there will probably be a bit of burr comb around the cage to clean up. No worries.

[Jen]

I should get my queens tomorrow or the next day. I'm still reading the links from Riv on installation, and Robo's and Scott's.

But before everybody goes to dreamland, is there anything I should do to my hives before I install the queens?

[pistolpete]

You need to make the hives queenless for about 24 hours.  Just don't jump the gun.  Only make them queenless once the new queens are in your hands.  There is some debate on how long to leave them queenless.  Some say for 14 to 20 hours, some say 24 hours, some say at least 24 hours.   I have used a long rubber band to hold the queen cage against the frame so that it does not fall down while the frame goes into place.  I mist the bees with a bit of sugar syrup mixed with a few drops of vanilla extract, just to confuse the olfactory scene for a bit.    Your new queens will be sensitive to drafts and cold, so make sure they are in a comfortably warm place overnight.

[Slowmodem]

I don't know if it's been mentioned or not, but if you have a shim, you can just lay the queen cage on top of the frames and the shim will allow room.

[Jen]

What about getting the other queens out and making sure there are no queen cells of any kind present? read that late last night

We're not going to pinch the old queens, we're going to try and make a nuc if I have enough hive goodies for one or two, with all of the swarming that's iffy. Also, how do I cage and protect the original queens until hubby has a nuc ready for them. Won't they need some attendants with them, and food, water.... ??

[LazyBkpr]

If your going to save the old queens they will need to go into a nuc or hive body when they are removed with some brood and bees and taken to their new home.
   Then wait whatever amount of time you have decided on before installing the new queen cages.

   A hive body with screen over the entrance. No reducer, just screen for best ventilation and strap or tape the hive together for the trip. I usually use ratchet straps but have used duct tape.
   The smaller space would be better to get them started like a nuc, but a follower board would also be acceptable leaving them four frames, depending on what you were capable of pulling for the start.   One frame of brood and a drawn comb for instance with a frame of honey or nectar if you can spare it, and an empty frame and the follower board to reduce the space to that size.

   If your frame of brood has nectar and pollen in the corners that should get them by for a day or three while they reorganize and start foraging in their new home. Feeding them when the screens are pulled at their new location.

   When you search for the queen to move, certainly make sure they havent charged any queen cells, remove them if they have.