I picked up two packages of bees today. I am excited about them as the beekeeper making up the packages has a good reputation.
The high today was 54 F. It's supposed to drop down to 29F tonight. I did a cold weather package install. A very knowledgeable beekeeping friend says that this method is her favorite for installing packages. I meant to take more pictures. but I forgot.
This is how I did it.
On the bottom board I placed an empty brood box. I placed a shallow red brick on the bottom board and set the package of bees on top of the brick. I removed the feeder can and queen. I thumb tacked the queen cage to the bottom of a frame. On top of the empty brood box with the package I placed a brood box with frames. I made sure the queen was dangling from the frame over the hole left by the feeder can. I then put on an inner cover, a feeder bucket, another empty brood box to cover the feeder bucket, and the telescoping outer lid. Entrance reducer on front and I will leave them like this until the weather is more favorable. That should be tomorrow according to the weather forecast.
The bees had been in the package long enough with the queen that they were tending to her well. I know they will cluster around her tonight and she will be fine. The bees should come out of the package and onto the frames and be able to cluster.
