How to Properly Install a Queen Bee
Dec 2019 03
Buying a new queen and having her rejected by her new colony is heart breaking. By following the advice in this article you can increase the likelihood that the queen will be accepted.
Before introducing your new queen it is important to ensure that the old queen has been removed from the hive for at least 48 hours in small colonies or 72 hours in large colonies. Remove any queen cells that are present.
If you purchased your queen from Revival she will be in a JZ BZ queen cage with 4 bee attendants. The cage has a long tube that is filled with candy. The candy provides food to the bees during shipment but it also acts as a time-release barrier that the outside bees must chew through to gain access to the queen. This time release is crucial because it allows the bees in the new colony to adjust to the pheromones of the new queen.
To preserve queen quality and the likelihood of acceptance by the hive it is important to install the queen as quickly as possible after you receive her.
To install the queen, place the cage in the middle of the brood nest, preferably between 2 frames of emerging brood. If there is no brood in your hive place the cage in the middle of the bee cluster. Position the cage between two frames, with the candy end pointing straight up. Squish the cage firmly into wax. Do not worry about damaging the comb because the bees will quickly repair it once you remove the cage.
Over the next few days the bees will likely chew their way through the candy and the queen will be released into the hive. Occasionally, and for various reasons, the bees may not chew through the candy. If you would like to ensure the queen has been released you can check on your queen after 5 days.
If the queen has not been released you can release her, but only if your bees are not clinging tightly to the outside of the cage. This clinging behavior indicates that the bees have not fully accepted her yet and you will need to wait a few more days before opening the cage.
Note that it can take several days for the queen to become established and start laying eggs. The colony should be disturbed as little as possible for two weeks after the cage placement. The absence of eggs during this time does not necessarily indicate your colony is queenless.
It is best to place your cage into the hive as soon as possible. However, due to inclement weather or travel you may not be able to do so. If you are unable to introduce your queen immediately after purchasing her you should keep the cage at room temperature, in a dark area. Do not allow the cage to be exposed to breezes or sunlight, but ensure they have access to oxygen (i.e., they are not sealed tightly in a bag). The caged queen can survive for several days outside the hive.
Please take the time to follow these instructions carefully. Although these recommendations do not 100% guarantee your queen will be accepted, they mitigate against many of the issues that result in queen rejection.
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