# Package Install Method?



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I'll be installing 2 packages in top bars in May. Both hives will have 7-8 bars of both brood comb and honey in them. Has anyone ever tried hanging the queen cage(I'm either going to hang it from an empty bar, or cut a spot out of comb for it), and then simply leaving a gap between bars and setting the package upside down with the hole over the gap and let them go in. 

I'm sure someone has. You'll have more luck if the box is in the hive. But I'd just shake them out. Hanging a queen cage without drawn comb already will guarantee messed up comb which will, if not immediately removed or fixed, guarantee more messed up comb.

>I'd also cover the gap on the ends where the cage doesn't. Thought maybe with both comb and the queen in the hive they may be more than happy to quickly exit the cage. Would covering the cage make any difference as far as light/dark? 

Bees are looking for dark.

>In other words, would the bees prefer to head to a dark area or head to the light in this situation? I have no problem shaking them in, just thought this might be a slick idea, and wonder how quickly they might go in on their own in this situation? Thoughts?

Yes, you can often fool them into moving, but why? Just shake them in and be done with it.

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


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## hulstbee (Apr 25, 2014)

Michael Bush said:


> >I'll be installing 2 packages in top bars in May. Both hives will have 7-8 bars of both brood comb and honey in them. Has anyone ever tried hanging the queen cage(I'm either going to hang it from an empty bar, or cut a spot out of comb for it), and then simply leaving a gap between bars and setting the package upside down with the hole over the gap and let them go in.
> 
> I'm sure someone has. You'll have more luck if the box is in the hive. But I'd just shake them out. Hanging a queen cage without drawn comb already will guarantee messed up comb which will, if not immediately removed or fixed, guarantee more messed up comb.
> 
> ...


My experience with females made me think it might go even better if they thought it was their idea!:lpf:

A more serious comparison: I can load a cow in a trailer in 10 seconds with a cattle prod, or I can do it with a pail of feed in a minute or two. If I'm not in a hurry, and it's not a big time difference, why not save us both the trouble?


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## treeWinder (May 3, 2013)

hulstbee said:


> Has anyone ever tried hanging the queen cage(I'm either going to hang it from an empty bar, or cut a spot out of comb for it),QUOTE]
> 
> Don't hang her from a full width bar. take one of your empty bars and rip in down to about 3/8" wide, use that to hang your queen between two of the drawn comb that you said you had. this will give you enough room for the cage and minimize any burr comb. I also take a small eyelet and screw it into the "queen bar" this allows a place to tie your cage to easy. Also in 3 days check her out to see she is out by picking up the bar with her cage.


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## msscha (Jan 4, 2014)

hulstbee said:


> My experience with females made me think it might go even better if they thought it was their idea!:lpf:


 LOL! That's pretty much what I say about men...

I can attest that hanging the queen cage can cause crooked comb, so if you go with that method (I did), be sure to correct problems quickly (I didn't! Though that hive is doing splendidly). I also just put the box in the hive, closed it up (well, except for entrances), and the bees just crawled out on their own. Took the box out the next day. Removed the queen cage two days later. One advantage to this method is that any dead bees are left in the box, not on the bottom of the hive. Yes, I know the bees will take care of this, but it seemed so discourteous somehow, to move them into their new home with so much housekeeping to do


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## EvanS (Feb 27, 2015)

I am installing my first ever packages next weekend. If hanging the queen cage on a bar causes crooked comb, what would be the best option? I have read that it isn't good to leave her on the bottom of the hive. Maybe hang the cage until she is out and then remove that bar?


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## BobRagsdale (Nov 23, 2014)

I like to hang the queen cage. I hang it about 2" down from the bar. In my experience it doesn't cause them to build crooked comb, they just build the comb around the cage and it becomes embedded in the comb. Once the queen has been released I just pull the cage out and they fill the hole where it was. Simple.


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## hulstbee (Apr 25, 2014)

treeWinder said:


> hulstbee said:
> 
> 
> > Has anyone ever tried hanging the queen cage(I'm either going to hang it from an empty bar, or cut a spot out of comb for it),QUOTE]
> ...


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## hulstbee (Apr 25, 2014)

BobRagsdale said:


> I like to hang the queen cage. I hang it about 2" down from the bar. In my experience it doesn't cause them to build crooked comb, they just build the comb around the cage and it becomes embedded in the comb. Once the queen has been released I just pull the cage out and they fill the hole where it was. Simple.


Yeah, I was guessing that if I had nice combs on both sides maybe they wouldn't mess up the bar with the cage on it. If think if they do I'll just take the bar out and replace with a fresh one. Might try this on one hive and treewinder's method on the other.


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## hulstbee (Apr 25, 2014)

msscha said:


> LOL! That's pretty much what I say about men...
> 
> I can attest that hanging the queen cage can cause crooked comb, so if you go with that method (I did), be sure to correct problems quickly (I didn't! Though that hive is doing splendidly). I also just put the box in the hive, closed it up (well, except for entrances), and the bees just crawled out on their own. Took the box out the next day. Removed the queen cage two days later. One advantage to this method is that any dead bees are left in the box, not on the bottom of the hive. Yes, I know the bees will take care of this, but it seemed so discourteous somehow, to move them into their new home with so much housekeeping to do


I'm glad you laughed at my comment!
I'm still curious about how quickly they would leave the cage if placed upside down on the top bars over a gap? Just seems like if the queen is in the hive, and the hive dark and stocked with brood comb and honey comb, they should be racing to get in there. Then again, what do I know? Never done this before. Might try the first one that way and see what happens, takes more than 10 minutes and I'll just shake'em in.


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## djjmc (Feb 6, 2015)

hulstbee said:


> I'm glad you laughed at my comment!
> I'm still curious about how quickly they would leave the cage if placed upside down on the top bars over a gap? Just seems like if the queen is in the hive, and the hive dark and stocked with brood comb and honey comb, they should be racing to get in there. Then again, what do I know? Never done this before. Might try the first one that way and see what happens, takes more than 10 minutes and I'll just shake'em in.


This method worked for me. Install at last light and the bees don't want to fly. The queen started laying the next day as I had sealed brood 9 days later.


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## Knot Wiring (Jan 15, 2015)

I shook mine in. Sat the box by the entrance, two hours later there were a large bunch of bees not leaving the package. My hive was the right width to support the package, so I filled in with TBs. I also covered the sides of the package (not shown). Two hours after that they were all in. My first install. Sooo fwiw.


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## hulstbee (Apr 25, 2014)

Knot Wiring said:


> I shook mine in. Sat the box by the entrance, two hours later there were a large bunch of bees not leaving the package. My hive was the right width to support the package, so I filled in with TBs. I also covered the sides of the package (not shown). Two hours after that they were all in. My first install. Sooo fwiw.


Hey, thanks for posting, nice to hear it worked. Good luck!


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