How to Install a Package of Bees
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- Опубліковано 11 тра 2020
- Learn how to install a package of bees.
In this lesson you will learn how to install a bee package into a hive with the shake method and the no shake method. This lesson will explain the hive set up as well as how to feed your newly installed package.
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If you are interested in becoming a beekeeper this is a great place to start learning. This lesson is part of our complete series, Introduction to Beekeeping. If you are interested in enrolling in this complete course please visit the link below:
courses.newbeeuniversity.com/...
Thank you for watching and we hope you will subscribe and continue to watch our videos and learn to raise happy, healthy, honey-making bees!
Matthew Doucette
NewBee University
www.newbeeuniversity.com
I am a begginer getting ready to install my new packages and this is the best you tube video I have watched yet. It was precise and to the point and he throughly covered everything. I now am confident to go do my install, thank you !!!
Thank you Lynne for the kind words. Your description of this video exactly matches our goal at NewBee University so I couldn't not be happier to hear it! Happy Beekeeping!
17:38 thanks for this vid! I learned a lot and feel much more prepared for my packages that are due in 2 weeks or so.
Thank you so much for this video. I have packaged bees coming and I feel a bit more confident. I will continue to watch your next video on nucs!! Thank you, thank you 🐝💕
I do the no shake method. I have done both. I like the no shake method better. Thanks for sharing my friend.
Yes, the no shake method is a great and more gentle way of installing a package. We chose this as bit more of a "traditional" approach, and honestly it is a fond memory for us as we think back to our first ever bee install. Thanks for watching and happy beekeeping!
Really enjoyed this video thank you
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Happy Beekeeping!
Great video. I appreciate the walk through of each step. I’ve watched this several times to get comfortable and installing my first package later today!
Thank you! So glad our video could help you out and provide that confidence you needed to install your bees! That's our goal here at NewBee University so I love hearing we help you on your beekeeping journey. Happy Beekeeping!
Great Video. Thank you !!
You are welcome, I am glad you enjoyed it!
This has been so helpful! Thank you!
You are very welcome, thank you for watching!
thank you for the info very useful
Very very helpful and through video👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Thank you! Happy Beekeeping!
Great video thank you.
Thank you for watching! You can now continue this series as we release updates on how this honey bee colony started as a package compares with our colony started as a nuc. You can find those here: ua-cam.com/play/PLxvOlxPLfsT8WSEVB-iEC0LfjqJahyGhl.html
Very simple, I appreciate the way you explained. One thing, Should I follow the same way, if I'd go with foundation less frame ? Off course I don't like plastic
I used the rubber band to hold the queen cage. 6 days later I opened the new hives. The queens were released as expected but cages had moved some and the rubber bands were gone. Did the bees chew up the bands? One hive had a small area of double layers of comb. Might have been where the rubber band had been below the top bar. Both hives are fine it's just odd that the bands were gone on both of them.
Hello Kenneth, Yes bees will chew through and remove rubber bands. This method is often used to secure comb from cutouts into new frames and the bees will work on attaching the comb to the frame and at the same time work to remove the rubber bands. They will chew them free and drag them right out the entrance onto the ground, much like they do with dead bees and other hive debirs. Thanks and happy beekeeping!
How long do you leave the feeders in like that without worrying that the hive might try to make comb up in the extra/empty mediums? Husband and I are trying to decide on the best course of action here. Also, you dont use an excluder?
I have never had a problem with package bees building around the feeder as long as they still have comb to build on new foundations. The inner cover also helps keep them from moving up top into the empty area around the sugar water. Personally, I do not favor feeding so once the deep was drawn I would remove the sugar water, others might add another deep or honey super and keep feeding until it is drawn. You definitely do not want to feed while drawn supers are present as they will store this sugar water and it should not be treated or marketed as honey.
Should new bee packs be treated for varroa mites after install?
Should I be concerned if they start building comb where the feeders are? And possibly the queen moves up there. I’m new to the bee hobby this year and just installed my first nuc. Getting a package in two weeks.
Bees will always build comb where there is extra space. While it's not "Bad" for the bees is it a waste of there resources and can make inspections more difficult. It is always best to fill open spaces with frames. So if you have an extra box on top for the feeder you can fill the extra space with frames. Or you can put an inner cover on and the feader above that so they don't access the upper box but can access the sugar water. Hope that helps, welcome to the addiction and happy beekeeping!
Remove 3 or 4 frames and pull the feeder can and queen out and put the queen between frames and set package in open space put lid on no beating the bee's.
This is what I was thinking too. Thanks for the confirmation!
Is that a molded plastic top you used at the very end of the video?
Sure looks like one. I have about 10 of those plastic covers from years back and I got them from Kelly Co/ Walter T. Kelly Co years ago when I bought mine.
😃
How far in advance can you make the sugar water?
Pros and cons for both Langstroth , and. Dadant systems , please
Hello I did this exactly but was wondering. Will the other frame block the screen on the queen cage? Is there enough room to keep her happy?
You always want to make sure the queens exit from the cage is not blocked and that the bees that are feeding the queen have some access still to the openings on the cage. Most cage designs this will not be an issue, but do keep that in mind when putting the queen in place, her exit and the workers access to feed her. Happy beekeeping!
My bee bus was very calm I took sugar water can out grabbed the Queen cage relocated it to the inside the hive in between the frames tilted the bee bus on its side and placed it in front of the entrance of the brood box they marched right in
No spraying
No shaking
No taking frames out
No placing bee bus inside the brood box
I didn’t even light up my smoker
What are your thoughts on using a push in cage during package installation?
The scenario is drawn comb, with pollen and honey from a winter dead out.
That would allow the queen to begin laying asap, where she'd usually spend the 2-3 days waiting for them to free her from the queen cage.
I think that this would be a great idea. I would add the attendants that are in the queen cage with here into the push in cage as well. Not only will she get to work this way I think that her acceptance will go up when she is actively laying eggs. Give it a try and let us know how it works. Happy Beekeeping!
What if one is getting two packages? Was told hives can be side by side. How does that work?
While in nature colonies are well spaced and this prevents many of the problems that we deal with as beekeepers (robbing, mite spread, etc) it is a very common practice for managed colonies to be rather close. This is for the sake of the beekeeper not the bees. If you are placing two colonies close together there will be some drift (bees going into the wrong coloy), especially with drone bees, but this should not have a major impact. For the most part the bees will use there navigation skills and the pheromones from there specific colony to help them return to the correct hive.
i just installed two, and the only issue i had was the bees from the first package found the second package and were all over it, making it harder to handle the second package. Bees were relatively calm though. I think I didn't get enough bees out of the packages by shaking, but I am new and was worried about making them mad, as it was already cloudy and windy and they were probably not happy about that. I think if I got more bees out of the first package into the hive, there would have been less bees on the second package. But I should knock the bees off the second package with ease. Only got stung once (was suited so didn't feel it), and plenty of bees were bumping me, but it seemed they were much more concerned with getting to the queen and sugar water because when I was 6 feet away they didnt care about me at all.
Question ! Some beekeepers said to use a solid bottom board to keep the pheromones in (the rationale being that it is a new queen that the hive has?) . What is the reason for the screened bottom board? Thanks !
Hello, Most queen pheromone is spread my contact from one bee to the next (not between all bees and the queen but from the queen to her attendants then from them throughout the hive) or even between the queen and the comb she walks on. So I don't see much advantage in the way of queen pheromone. However I will say screened vs solid is a beekeeper preference. The idea is that screened bottom boards allow more air flow (and can be closed in winter if desired) and allow colony debris to drop out. Some also say it helps with varroa, which I think is likely minimal. Some of the best beekeepers I know swear by solid while others swear by screen :) I don't have a strong preference personally. Happy Beekeeping!
Have you ever dusted packages with powdered sugar and watched the bees groom their mites off?
where can I buy your swarm lure???
Hi Bill, you can buy our swarm lure here:
swarmsciencelures.com/product/swarm-science-swarm-lure-for-trapping-honey-bee-swarms-2-oz-spray-bottle/
Thanks and happy trapping!
why did you put the inner cover on upside down?
I love your bee suit. What type is it?
Thanks! It is a ComfortPro jacket, you can find them here: comfortprosuits.com/
You murdered a bee at 17:38 - :( RIP
you just squashed a bee 15:00
Yeah :( i felt so bad for her
My wife and I just commented on that.
No need for gloves really.
Bold
This can be done without gloves, especially by an experienced beekeeper, however we strongly feel it is best for NewBees to be as comfortable and protected around there bees as possible especially when just starting out.
I feel bad for those bees :(
Get your shit together
You need to be move careful not to squash bees when playing the inner cover. I saw at least 3 bees you squashed whilst placing the inner cover.
you obviously don't have bees
@@mikefrench3800exactly
Just do it already! He kept talking about doing it for like 5 minutes. He seemed nervous.
We are focused on education more than entertainment, for this reason we may explain things in more detail than some might like, but again our goal is education. Thanks for watching and happy beekeeping!
It seemed klike a long time, but remember he is speaking to people who have never been around bees before, let alone installing a package. Every step he takes explaining what he is doing is right! You would be surprised how many times I have watched a video and they do things wrong. As a 30 year beekeeper and installing many packages myself I would say this is the best video I have seen.