By: David MacFawn
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years
Saturday, March 16, 2019 Robert’s Apiary, Jessup, Georgia (http://www.robertsbeecompany.com/index.html)
On the above date, Robert’s Apiary delivered 468, three-pound packages (267 with marked queens & 201 with unmarked queens) and a “battery” box full of extra queens. A battery box is a box containing multiple individual queen cages. The Midstate South Carolina Bee Association, in previous years, drove to Jessup, Georgia from Columbia, South Carolina to pickup and deliver the
bees. However, it was determined it is easier for Robert’s Apiary, for a nominal charge, to deliver the bees and insure the bee’s safe arrival in case of any mishap or accident. It also reduces volunteer work, ensures proper delivery, and is always on time.
Truck from apiary delivering the bees (David Schuetrum photo) The “tarp” is porous and allows air to flow over the packages to keep from overheating.
By utilizing multiple methods of efficiency, we can unload and disburse the packages and queens in about an hour. Months before delivery day, multiple, periodic scripted emails announce sales dates, reminders, package pickup day and time, and traffic coordination. We have software that takes the orders on line, keeps track of how many bees each person has ordered, and emails a barcoded pickup slip to the recipient for pick up on bee delivery day. On the day of the package pick up a coordinated effort of volunteers breaks up into two teams. “Team Apis” wrangles the eager beekeepers in their cars such that they are backed into parking spaces in the large parking lot and makes sure hatchbacks are open and doors unlocked, ready for receiving the bees. When the
bees arrive, “Team Bee” divides the packages into marked or unmarked stacks. As the cars and trucks approach the loading zone, the bar-coded pickup slip is scanned, and Team Bee volunteers loads cars and trucks – beekeepers picking up bees never leave their vehicles. Th e pickup slips are optically scanned upon presentation by the beekeeper at pickup for accountability and accuracy which marks the item as delivered. Often, the packages are delivered and dispensed early enough to install in the hives that evening. Extra packages and queens are ordered in case of mishap.
A package of bees contains a queen suspended in a queen cage, can of sugar syrup, and the bees. this photo is a good-looking package without a lot of dead bees. (David Schuetrum photo)
Midstate Beekeepers’ Association typically only orders three-pound packages of bees. Three pounds of bees are approximately the size of a typical swarm. European honey bee workers on an empty stomach number about 4,000 to the pound (or about 8,800 bees per kilogram). Well-fed workers number about 3,000 bees per pound (or roughly 6,600 bees per kilogram) according to the “ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture.” So, a three-pound package of bees is between 9 ,000 to 12,000 bees. These bees are typically of all ages depending on when the bees were placed in the package. When purchasing packages with queens, while you want the bees delivered at the appropriate time, you also want the queen to be mated properly with a sufficient number of drones. You also want the queen to have been allowed enough time to mate and start laying. Hopefully, the queen’s laying pattern has been assessed by the bee supplier prior to shipment. In the Columbia, South Carolina area, our nectar flow usually starts around the first of April. So, it is variable how early we can get packages from Georgia, or Florida, depending on the weather at the apiary. It is a task and challenge to get bees delivered prior to the nectar flow yet well mated.
Queen battery box with queen cages and attendants. (David Schuetrum photo)
When installing a package of bees, it is ideal to install on drawn comb, if you have it, rather than foundation. Many new beekeepers only have foundation. Foundation requires time and feed to draw out. If you only have one or two frames of drawn comb with the rest foundation, this will also give the bees a head start. It takes an average of 8.4 pounds of honey and more nectar to draw out one pound of beeswax. Hence, by installing on drawn comb, the beekeeper is giving the colony a head start.
Installing a 3 lb. Package of Bees
Install your package in mid to late afternoon, or just before dusk in the evening. This will allow the bees to acclimate to their new home overnight. Gather basic hive equipment: Hive tool, bee brush, spray bottle containing 1: 1 sugar syrup, Complete hive (bottom board, brood chamber with frames containing foundation, inner cover, telescoping cover), feeder containing 1: 1 sugar syrup.
Put on your veil and optional gloves; light your smoker.
Remove center four to five frames to allow the bees to be dumped into the brood chamber from the package. Spray the package outside screening with 1: 1 sugar syrup. Do not brush the sugar syrup since you may damage the bees’ feet.
“Bang” or “bump” the package to force the bees to the bottom of the package. Pry off the wooden cover over the can of sugar syrup. Remove the syrup can and queen cage being careful the queen cage does not fall down into the package. If the queen cage does fall into the package, you will have to reach into the package to retrieve the queen cage. Place the wooden cover back over the hole where the sugar syrup can was.
Pour the bees from the package into the brood chamber where the four to five frames have been removed. Place the removed frames back into the brood chamber, being careful that the weight of the frame disperses the bees. Do not force the frames down as you will squash bees. Frames with drawn comb are preferred.
Remove the cork from the candy end of the queen cage. Suspend the queen cage candy end hole up between two frames. Placing the candy end hole up will ensure the queen can get out if any attendants die. You do not typically want to remove the cork from the non-candy hole opposite end from the candy. This will release the queen immediately. The queen must acclimate to the
worker bees. While some beekeepers poke a hole in the candy, this is discouraged; patience releasing the queen is important.
Dr. Wyatt Mangum’s research indicated queens are better accepted if the worker attendants are removed from the queen cage prior to placing the queen cage in the hive. This is especially true when requeening an established colony.
Make sure there is space on top of the queen cage for the bees to eat out the candy and release the queen when the inner cover is placed on top of the brood chamber. Also, make sure you place the queen / queen cage in the center of the hive such that if the weather turns cool, the queen is in the cluster. Place a very small pollen substitute patty on top of the frames above the bees for protein. In the south, too large a patty will draw Small Hive Beetles. So, about a one to two-inch patty is sufficient. The bees need protein (pollen) and carbohydrates (sugar syrup or honey) to raise
new bees.
Queen cage installed and package with straggler bees placed in front of hive.
Place the inner cover Queen cage installed and pack- . age with straggler bees placed in back on equipment stack front of hive. top, place the sugar syrup feeder on the hive (a pail feeder is preferred inverted over the inner cover hole). Put a deep hive body around the pail feeder and place the top cover onto the equipment stack.
Place the shipping package in front of the bottom board/brood chamber to allow the straggler bees to go into the hive. Leave the package overnight to allow all the remaining bees to go into the hive.
Leave the installed package at least five to six days to allow the bees to release the queen. In a package, the bees very rarely “ball” the queen and “bite” at the queen cage screening since the bees are disorganized and do not have an established colony. If the bees do “ball” the queen you can try spraying the queen and queen cage with 1: 1 syrup or replace the queen. The queen with your package is not the queen from the same colony as the bees originally were from.
Honey bee delivery and pick-up can be short and efficient with the right software and organizational management. Consideration should be given for the source apiary to deliver the bees rather than the bee club picking up the bees. The source apiary is typically set up with the correct equipment and techniques to ship the bees efficiently. Often the packages can be installed on the same day they are shaken from the hives, minimizing transportation time and stress on the bees.
