When would you release?

[RAST]

 Or would you? I have a small cluster of bees in a hive that went queenless. My fault, gone too long with no inspection. Discovered yesterday. Cut it down to 4 frames. Got a caged mated queen yesterday and is being accepted from all indications tonight.. Would you go ahead and release her?

[apisbees]

No brood for a long time = older bees that can be less accommodating to a new queen. Small cluster will accept a queen more readily than a very populous hive. It is a crap shoot any time you introduce a new queen into a hive. for the most reliable chance release the queen into a press in cage on some comb that the bees have polished and is ready for the queen to lay in. then in 4 days release the queen and because she has been laying the bees are more likely to accept her. A good nectar flow or feeding syrup will also improve the chances of success also.

[Wandering Man]

Apis means something like this:

https://www.betterbee.com/marking-tools-and-queen-cages/iqc1-push-in-queen-intro-cage.asp?mkwid=s&pcrid=271558724308&pkw=&pmt=&pdv=c&gclid=CjwKCAjw6djYBRB8EiwAoAF6oSStLv-mNyI72DOsN9ja_l2QMH42EeXdwYG-m5L4QAxmO_mhzZV2_RoCFCQQAvD_BwE

The link above takes you to a $5 cage sold by betterbee, but you can build one yourself with a bit of hardware cloth.

[riverbee]

just my HO rast, i would let the bees release her.

what apis said, older bees can be less accommodating. and a crap shoot overall introducing queens. also, a little syrup as apis mentioned.

i keep russians, i don't release queens, i use a slow release method. cork or cap on for 24 hours, take the cork out/cap off, check back in 4 days.
the other thing i do when requeening is place the cage on top the frames and watch the reaction of the bees. if it's not so good i leave the cork in/cap on for 24 hours.  if they are fanning and not biting the cage, or trying to stick their butts in the cage to sting the queen (no aggression) i will remove the cork or cap. 

russian queens are really hard to come by so why i am so careful about my release method, this may be different for you.

[RAST]

These are fanning and feeding her already, very gentle when you run your finger through them on the cage.

[riverbee]

that's a good sign.

rast, i am so very cautious about releasing queens, i typically don't.