Package bee installation

Package bees staged with the hives they will go into.

Each of these packages contains about 2 pounds of bees and a caged queen. 

Three to four combs are removed so the bees can be shaken into the bottom of the hive.

Ladies and Gentleman prepare yourselves for a real treat.

Sweet to the Soul Atkins Family Bee Farm is pleased to announce our first bee blog video.

Drum roll please.................

Hunter will now demonstrate the process of shaking bees into the hive.

Step by step

1. Remove cover plate and feeder can

2.  Remove queen cage

3. Tap package on ground to knock bees to bottom of package

4.  Shake bees into hive

5.  Replace frames

6.  Remove cork plug from queen cage

7. That tiny little box has the queen in it. Use nail to start hole through piece of candy (the bees will eat through the candy a couple of days to release the queen; the delay gives the bees time to get used to their queen - due to their great loyalty to their "old" queen, if you put this new one right in, the hormone shock will cause them to kill her).

8. Place queen box and a pollen "pattie" on top of frames

9. Place cover upside down on hive (cover gets turned right-side-up and empty queen cage gets removed in week - otherwise, the bees will fill that entire gap with "wasted" comb)

10. Replace lid

11. PRAY