# Queen flew out during pkg install



## Da Yooper (Apr 13, 2004)

I rec'd a pkg of bees on Sunday and followed the instructions in "Backyard Bee Keeping" and didn't remove the cork from the queen cage. I went to remove it today and had a mishap with removing the cork - struggling with it, it held it up out of the hive and accidently pushed the cork into the cage and the queen flew out. 

Is she gone for good?

I stepped away from the open hive to see if she landed somewhere but had many bees hovering around. I waited a few minutes and closed the hive - any possibility she returned to the hive or will return?

Has anyone ever had this happen and what was the outcome?

thanks


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I would guess she is pretty much gone. While you are waiting for your new queen you need to order, you can check for eggs in about three or four days to see if she happened to find her way in.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

It happens a lot if you search the threads on here. That is the best reason to get queen cages with candy. It is nearly fool proof!


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## Riverratbees (Feb 10, 2010)

Don't waste time order a queen asap she is history. Sad


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## Da Yooper (Apr 13, 2004)

thanks for the replies - I think the cage did have candy in it, but it was gone.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Here is an interesting tip I learned from Dr. Marla Spivak.
(for next time)
When a released queen takes to flight STAND STILL! DO NOT MOVE!!
The first thing that the queen does is to fly around in large circles, orienting her position to where she was released.
Why does she do that?
She does that so that she can return.
As she is orienting, YOU are part of the objects she is focusing on. You are a land mark.
If you start running around, she is lost.
On the other hand, and I have done this a couple of times; if you stand still and listen you can hear a different sounding bee flying around you. Somtimes that sound will stop suddenly and as you look in the direction of where it stopped, there she is at rest on a hive lid.
The first time I heeded Dr. Spivaks advice, the queen landed on a hive lid right in front of me about a foot from where I bumbled the cage.
Sorry that this is of no help today.


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## Erichtexan (Apr 21, 2009)

*Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I was in College Station with a friend - installing a package of bees in their backyard...I have done this numerous times - and I was even filming the whole thing to put on youtube later...I looked at the queen cage and saw the side marked "//" and I assumed it was the side with the candy in it - - BIG MISTAKE
I pryed out the cork and out she flew! Not only was I super embarrassed, but I lost the queen...
Well, nothing helps like a little prayer...so I prayed, and walked away. Before I was about to leave and order a new queen, I came back out and there was a small cluster of bees on the ground by the hive - so I checked it out - and there she was - in all her big white dot glory - I scooped her up and installed her in the hive - 

Now - she might not make it for various reasons, but I'll check the hive in a few days and see how they are doing-they are still drawing out the comb.

Erich


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## Konrad (Oct 7, 2004)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

This is unfortunate, 
Next time you let her go inside the hive...I usually have a couple of frames out so you can hold the cage deep when letting her go, directing the exit to a frame with bees, please.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I've done the "stand still" routine and had her land on my veil. I recommend leaving the hive open while you stand there. The bees are fanning phermones to lead her back and she can smell those better if the lid is off. Keep your eyes open and you may see her go back in. If not, after ten minutes she's probably there. Odds are she'll be there in less.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I've also "lost" queens return to the area of the hive. I've seen one amidst a cluster of bees under the bottom board. I've also seen one that found her way into an empty deep covering a 2 gallon pail feeder with a small cluster of bees and the start of a comb.

So look around and under the hive. All may not be lost.

Wayne


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I'd take a close look inside the hive. She may very well be right there with the bees.


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I've had that happen and the stand there method worked. But to answer the question, I'd wait a few days to see if there are eggs in there first. Packages are known to have more than one queen in them as well, with the other one running around somewhere. If no eggs in a few days call for a new queen, explain what happened and the people you are ordering from will take care of you ASAP I'm sure. When you get the new queen, open the hive and place the cage on top and see how the bees react to her. If for some reason the first packaged queen is in the hive and has not laying eggs (unlikely) they will ball the new queen cage and go nuts trying to bit at her. If the new queen arrives and you find eggs before putting her in for the three day period caged, then do some reading on banking queens or call someone in your local club and sell her off. 

If you have more than one operational hive the suggestions change.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

"Natures Nectar Blog" Jim has a work around for avoiding this. He pops out the cork when the queen is at the far end of the cage and substitutes it with a mini marshmallow. Then he puts the cage in the hive - he claims that the bees release her in about 3-4 hours. Scroll down on his website and you'll see a video explaining it. I think I'm going to do it this way in the future, with my big clumsy hands it seems like its only a matter of time before this happens to me.


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I let my wife release the queens. She has a touch for it. She pulls the cork and gets a finger over the hole. Sticks the hole end in the hive entrance and the queen runs in.


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

You can also dunk the queen cage in syrup to get the queen sticky wet and then release her. Make sure she is covered with syrup because I had one fly away once that apparently didn't get enough syrup on her wings. The workers clean her up right away.


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## Apiator (Apr 8, 2011)

*Re: Happened to me just a few days ago in College Station*

I had that happen too. There was still candy blocking the queen in after 8 days, so I poked the rest of it out... and away she went. Me and my buddy just about had a cow... but a minute later, there she was, back in the box. Phew!


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

HarryVanderpool said:


> Here is an interesting tip I learned from Dr. Marla Spivak.
> (for next time)
> When a released queen takes to flight STAND STILL! DO NOT MOVE!!


Yup, I agree -- that's exactly what she recommended in the class I took from her this spring. She also warns to STAY PUT for at least ten minutes, no less. --DeeAnna


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

DeeAnna said:


> ....She also warns to STAY PUT for at least ten minutes, no less...


Good advice, too. Last year I had a queen escape during a capture for marking. I stood there for a couple of minutes trying to see if I see her land somewhere or other bees forming a cluster nearby when I felt something crawling up the inside of my pants leg. Yep, it turned out to be her. 

Wayne


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## the doc (Mar 3, 2010)

this year i followed micheal bush's advice and direct released all six queens. the packages spent 2 days together. If i didn't have some drawn comb i probably wouldn't have done it. But none of them flew off and they are all laying nicely


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Do beginning beekeepers not know that the body bends at the waist? When doing a direct release I do not start peeling the screen while swinging my arms in a circular arc high over my head! You remove a couple frames and open the queen cage down by the middle of a comb covered with bees in the hive! Every time she just crawls out into the crowd and disappears IN TO that crowd.


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