# Queen release in TBH



## john beeman (Feb 28, 2016)

Hello everyone. I have a 3# bee package with mated queen coming to my Pt.Orange Florida location on April 4, 2016. I have read many conflicting statements about how to introduce the queen to the package bees in my TBH. My question is.....Can I remove the cork from the candy end and just sit the queen cage on the hive floor about 4 bars from the entrance ?? This seems to me to be better than hanging the queen cage from the bars (crooked comb) or direct release (sudden death or worse).......confused 1st year beekeeper


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## 3mile honey (Feb 22, 2016)

I have tried both ways. it's is a little tricky pinning the queen box to a top bar. Only did that once. The packages I had did not have candy to plug the hole, just a cork. I left the box in for three full days and then took out the cork and set the box back on the floor.the queens then came out on there own. 

On a side note, I didn't have the best luck with packages. I've moved on to swarms. They are so much stronger. I had my 9 year old video one of the processes. I'd attach it if I didn't people would get motion sickness.......good luck


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## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

I have always hung the queen between two empty bars that have drawn comb outside the empty bars if I had some drawn comb available. 

I use a business card with slit cut in it so the queen cage hangs down below the bars and the card lays flat on top of the bar. Otherwise it is too easy to drop the queen. I injuries a queen that way and lost the package. you can use folded over tape to make the hanger on the queen cage longer if needed. 

Dont worry about the small space between the bars. Hanging the queen from the top is critical so the bees will keep her warm and fed. Also her pheromones will transfer better and she will be accepted faster. 

When I pull the cork and let them at the candy plug, it only takes 8 to 12hours for the bees to release her. I have had excellent success this way


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## john beeman (Feb 28, 2016)

Thanks folks for your help..... I live in Florida and right now the temp is mid 70 day mid 50 at night.....I really don't want to come back and cut the queen cage from comb and spook the bees in that process.....And I am spooked about direct release.....So having said that would it be okay to place the queen cage screen side up and allow a release from
the floor of the hive ?


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## MartinW (Feb 28, 2015)

-Can I remove the cork from the candy end and just sit the queen cage on the hive floor

Yes. That's what I did installing two packages last spring (early April) when the nights could go down to 40 degrees. Worked out great. I did not want the cluster to move away from a stationary queen cage and risk chilling the queen.

I have also wired in a queen cage when re-queening in warmer weather. It's not as hard as it might sound. Here is a video. I use a push pen and wire.

Good luck.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

I'd use a Christmas tree ornament hanger wire. Thumb tack it to an empty bar, connect it to the queen cage, and let it hang with the screen side perpendicular to the bar. Put the empty frame with queen cage between two drawn bars, come back in 7 days, and see what I had. Might position the cage to one end of the bar so the bees could draw comb in the center. If you put it on the end of an empty bar, have the screen face towards the center of the hive, and maybe even place the queen cage with the non-screened side up against the wall of the hive...then the bees would have room to work that bar. Cut out any comb that's not right and move on.


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## john beeman (Feb 28, 2016)

Thanks folks ! I've decided to go with the queen cage on the floor for her release... I was hoping for more comments but thanks again to all who commented


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

john beeman said:


> Thanks folks ! I've decided to go with the queen cage on the floor for her release... I was hoping for more comments but thanks again to all who commented


Presuming you have a solid bottom and temperatures aren't too cold, that will work fine. I've still got 1 cross comb mess I inherited, have cleaned up everything but the last 2 bars which still have a queen cage in them...


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

As long as the night temps don't fall below 50 F it works fine on the bottom. Or at least as well as anything. Last time I did that in 2 hours they were all in the tree with the queen still in the cage in the hive...


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

I agree that putting the cage on the bottom _might_ work.

I'd probably make sure the queen has been in the package at least 72 hours, amd then direct release her. ....after evaluating how the bees react to her still in the cage (watch Mike Palmers video on the topic).

If I were supplying (and had some responsibility towards) the package, I would want you to do ithowever I (the supplier) recommended.


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## john beeman (Feb 28, 2016)

Okay great...thanks to everyone !! Some very helpful posts...Just a reminder I am in coastal central Florida it was 78F today...by the time my bee package arrives April 4 the night time lows will be in the mid 60.....Great respect for Mr. Bush, thanks for your comment. If your bees left the hive either the queen sent was rejected or the bees didn't like the hive....right ? The bee package comes from S.Carolina / Georgia.....I would think the bees in the wild of nature never deal with chewing the queen from a container...so if the bees were from a swarm wouldn't the queen make her entrance from the floor ? Thanks everyone !!!


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

The key is that absent any comb, the bees are going to want to cluster hanging from the ceiling....and they want to cluster around the queen.


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## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

...I would think the bees in the wild of nature never deal with chewing the queen from a container...

The candy plug is made from sugar and the bees are instinctively drawn to eat it. Easy food. It never crosses the mind of the bee that this is how the queen is released. 

From an evolutionary stand point there is no difference between a feral hive bee and a commercially raised bee. Thank goodness or bees would be pets.


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## john beeman (Feb 28, 2016)

Chuck Jachens, very good reply! It would seem that since these bee packages are gathered from several hives there might be a chance for confusion as to their "job description". And with that in mind the scent of the queen brings back the prime objective....reproduction...Reproduction in nature is the prime objective with all species.......So what's left is acceptable housing, food supply, and a source of water.....And possibly reducing the hive entrance to a little more than a bee space.....yes ?


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## Calvin King (Oct 5, 2011)

I release my queen in TBH the same as in langs with a small difference. Using a very small wire, I hang the queen cage a couple of inches below the topbar with the cork out of the candy end. It can be left for 3 or 4 days without creating a problem with comb development.


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## AvatarDad (Mar 31, 2016)

I hung the cage 4 bars back a little off-center away from the entrance. Waited 3 days and a few hours and checked: queen was out and the comb they were building on bars 2 3 and 4 was all straight.... they had not built next to the cage yet. I removed the cage with no problems.

It was easy and worked perfectly.


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## richr58 (Jul 23, 2014)

john beeman said:


> Hello everyone. I have a 3# bee package with mated queen coming to my Pt.Orange Florida location on April 4, 2016. I have read many conflicting statements about how to introduce the queen to the package bees in my TBH. My question is.....Can I remove the cork from the candy end and just sit the queen cage on the hive floor about 4 bars from the entrance ?? This seems to me to be better than hanging the queen cage from the bars (crooked comb) or direct release (sudden death or worse).......confused 1st year beekeeper


Put a baby marshmallow in the cage and let the bees eat that and release the queen, she should be out in a couple of days, the comb will be a little wonky where the cage was, but you better get used to fixing comb anyway as you get them going in the right direction...


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## john beeman (Feb 28, 2016)

Hey folks, an update on the install of the 3# package along with sitting the queen cage on the floor of the TBH for release.....After 4 days returned to check for release and fill feeding container....The queen was out but the bees had built comb next to the cage on the floor...So I had to go in and cut the comb out which the colony did not like.......The colony has started to build comb on 8 of the 10 bars...also spotted the busy queen.....So I'm thinking I wouldn't do a floor cage release again, however I really wouldn't want to cut the queen cage from newly formed comb attached to a top bar either.....


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

john beeman said:


> Hey folks, an update on the install of the 3# package along with sitting the queen cage on the floor of the TBH for release.....After 4 days returned to check for release and fill feeding container....The queen was out but the bees had built comb next to the cage on the floor...So I had to go in and cut the comb out which the colony did not like.......The colony has started to build comb on 8 of the 10 bars...also spotted the busy queen.....So I'm thinking I wouldn't do a floor cage release again, however I really wouldn't want to cut the queen cage from newly formed comb attached to a top bar either.....


The only time I've seen comb on the floor was due to comb collapse - this often happens with a heavy flow (or feeding) and first drawn comb. Likely the queens location wasn't what got the comb down there.


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