# New Package Install: Bees not gathering around queen cage



## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

Hello folks,

Our first hive was a trapped swarm and it is doing well. For something different, and to hopefully have a colony to add a small removal colony to, I ordered a package of bees. The plan was to hive the new colony and then merge the small colony with them as it is queenless.

I installed the 2lb package this morning and after a few hours, the bees had not surrounded the hanging queen cage in which the queen and her three attendants reside. I let the cage dangle in the bees after I poured the bees into the bottom of the hive and there were a couple dozen on it after doing so. I placed the bar with the queen at the third bar from the end (my hives are side center entrance). I came back a few hours later to find the colony converging in one upper corner of the hive. I moved the cage to be closer to that area and still they will not surround the queen. That was about 5 hours ago.

Is this normal or do I need to do something different?


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm gonna throw out some pretty speculative thoughts here - anyone with more experience with something like this is welcome to tell me how wrong I am... There may be a second queen loose in the hive. It's also possible that the caged queen is a virgin. Try presenting the caged queen to the supposedly queenless colony and see what they think of her. If they aren't interested in her at all I'm gonna say that she is probably a virgin. If they mob the cage and feel like velcro when you pull them off of it they probably already have a queen. If they crawl all over the cage, but don't feel like velcro when you pull them off I would be inclined to introduce the caged queen to the queenless bees, and if at all possible put a frame of open brood in the package hive to help hold them in there while it gets sorted out. It's a strange situation.


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## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

Its a good bet that there was a second queen loose in the package. Do you have any others colonies to split and use the caged queen for the queen less split?


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

Thanks for the input guys. I have not been into the hive since I installed it Friday morning but plan to open it up this afternoon. If there are two queens I do have another hive that is queenless or I can possibly split my other hive which is doing well. I was going to combine the queenless hive with this new hive but if you guys are right, I won't have to do that. I'll post later this evening with what I figure out.


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

Okay, so last night I opened the hive and found that there were bees clinging to the queen cage, which she and her attendants were still in. I brushed them off and they did not resist so I guess they have accepted her and she is the only one in the hive. I quickly discovered why she was still in the cage. Some workers had begun building comb on the cage and covered the candy plug with wax. I removed that and then put a hole in the candy plug so that hopefully she'll be released in the next day or two. At what point should I just release her myself if they don't eat the candy plug away?

Also, they started building comb on three bars, each about the size of a box of playing cards. No sign of pollen but there is nectar in the comb.

Of the gallon bucket of syrup that I put in there for them, they've consumed only about a pint or so. Is that normal?

I checked in on the queenless hive and they are still working away. That being said, should I put a bar of brood in there from our other hive? And should I put a bar of brood in the package hive as well?


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## typhoontx (May 1, 2013)

If you have a queenless hive you need to find a donor comb from your other hive that has eggs if possible so they can use it to raise a new queen. otherwise you risk the hive developing laying workers and then all you get is a bunch of drones. On the hive with a new package a brood comb or 2 is a great way to give them a boost, just make sure your queen from the donor hive is not on the comb when you transfer them.
As long as the new package is building comb , I'd not worry to much if they aren't consuming a lot of sugar syrup. I seem to recall mine used 24 ounces every 3 days or so on a new package.


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

Thanks for the input, typhoontx. I believe I'll go ahead and proceed with moving a bar of brood to each of the hives.

Should I also go ahead and release the queen if she has not been released yet?


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## typhoontx (May 1, 2013)

release the queen its been 4 days from your first post so I'd release the queen , pull the cork and hold your finger over the hole so queen won't fly out on you then set it under the cluster and let her walk out and she will move up to the comb and you should see the eggs hatch 3.5 days from when she starts laying, I'm not sure how log it will take her to get started laying , I'd leave hive closed and undisturbed for at least a week to let queen and hive settle in , check for fresh larvae they should be easy to see and if you see larvae then the queens laying, check out Michael Bush's bee math table to judge when things should be at what stage and when. 

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

With most of the small amount of comb filled with nectar, will she wait for them to build more comb to lay? Or should I proceed with adding brood comb from our other hive?

And by 'closed' do you mean block them inside or just don't bother the hive? (I want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly.)


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## typhoontx (May 1, 2013)

By closed I mean don't disturb them, lift up bars to inspect etc. and as they build comb she will start laying as space becomes available, if you add brood comb from your other hive she will lay in that as well once the brood hatches


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

Just making sure. I was thinking it is too hot to coop them up inside. lol

I got home last night to find that the workers had released her on their own but I did go ahead and add a nice bar of brood. It literally was in the hive for 5 seconds and the bees covered up one side completely. I think they were as excited as I was. lol

Thanks for the help and I'll post an update after a week or so.


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

Well, here is the delayed update...

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...d-and-No-New-Brood-Comb&p=1438998#post1438998


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