# First double screen board queen intro attempt



## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

I've been keeping bees since 2016 but I started and maintained my stock through swarms and splitting so I'm new to buying bees and queens. I wanted to try some "gentle" stock as my grandson is getting curious and my bees weren't "hot" but nothing you could work without a full Jacket and gloves. I ordered some Carniolan queens. They were to ship on the 3rd so I picked a hive that I'm 95% sure went queenless due to the number of supercedure cells and lack of eggs. Large amounts of capped brood and some older Larvae. I removed the queen cells to nucs and then followed the procedure of getting nurse bees into the top box and then adding a double screen board between the two with the back entrance open on the screen board. Surprise surprise, my queens shipped on the 3rd as promised but after checking the tracking, they wont be here until Saturday the 7th (I'm writing this on the 4th). The setup now is 8 frame medium on the bottom board, an 8 frame honey super (getting filled) then the double screen board then the 8 frame medium that is ready for a queen then a top feeder.
Question
Leave it that way until Saturday or no? And, if my queens don't survive the long transit should I just pull the double screen or replace it with newspaper to recombine while I wait on one of the original queen cells to go through the process?


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## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

On the day of Qs arrival:
I would shake the bees off of the frames into the split and cut out any Q cells.
Let the hive settle down for about 6 hrs and install the new Q with no attendants on emerging brood(and a few cells of honey) in a push in cage. 
Make sure to give the new Qs water when they arrive.I touch my finger tip to a glass of water and then touch the drip onto the cage screen and do this 3 or 4 times.
If they come in a battery box,put in a wet paper towel for the attendants.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I would leave it as is, when queens arrive, destroy all queen cells found and intro the queens as planned. Push in cages would be the safest way, as @Jack Grimshaw has stated.


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## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

They made it a day early so I picked them up at the post office this morning and gave them a dab of water. All attendants and queens where looking good. No rain tomorrow for a change. I have a couple of the push in intro cages so I will take that advice. Once the queen is out and working in the 8 frame box above the double screen board, what procedure would you follow to recombine the hive? just remove the double screen or use a newspaper combine? I've read both from sources I trust.
I tell ya this buying stock sure raises the anxiety level in my apiary. I'm used to breeding survivors, splitting and catching swarms so worst case I'm out some time and effort. Money invested changes everything lol.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I would just remove the double screen board and be done with it. Others might do it differently.


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## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

I released the queen after 4 days in the top with no issues. I removed the double screen the next day with no visible hostility. Its been a week tomorrow so I'll go poke around for some eggs then slap on a third supper and check again fist week of July for hopefully a descent harvest.


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