How to look after a postal queen.

[thedozzer]

Hi, we are getting some GM queens delivered soon hopefully, but if they arrive on Thursday, i am working lates so will not have time to do the hive manipulations we need to do until the next afternoon.

What's the best way to store them for the day or so?
What do we need to give them if anything?

After reading on here and watching Mike Palmer and other vids we are going to use Push in cages for the introduction, as all the nucs are full!!

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

I put the cage on the top of one of my hives just sitting on the crown board and under the roof. Bees come up through thr hole and feed her and attendants. Had her there for up to 5 days. No fighting or problems.

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[Ian123]

If it’s only for a day or so kitchen cupboards fine cool not cold and dark. Simply give them the once over when they arrive, wet your finger you literally wipe across grids on travel cage. It’s a smear not droplets. To much and you end up with a lot of sticky dead bees err on less, twice a day they will last for a week if needed, but you obviously get them in ASAP and much depends on the original postage time.

 

[thedozzer]

I put the cage on the top of one of my hives just sitting on the crown board and under the roof. Bees come up through thr hole and feed her and attendants. Had her there for up to 5 days. No fighting or problems.

Thanks JP, good idea, pain as we have clear crown boards with no holes!!

If it’s only for a day or so kitchen cupboards fine cool not cold and dark. Simply give them the once over when they arrive, wet your finger you literally wipe across grids on travel cage. It’s a smear not droplets. To much and you end up with a lot of sticky dead bees err on less, twice a day they will last for a week if needed, but you obviously get them in ASAP and much depends on the original postage time.

Hi Ian, what sort of temp would you say is min? as we don't have an airing cupboard or heating on in house. only ask as i can never get bread to rise unless in oven on proving setting! and dont think bees would like that.

following on from JP's idea, could we just put the cages in the top of the suppers of the hives they are eventually going to go into, just dont remove plugs or would that be risky?
sorry for so many questions, but a new step in the learning curve and don't want to get queens killed by us or the bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A kitchen drawer is fine. As long as its not one you are opening every minute. They have survived being rattled around in the post after all

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I just open the envelope they're in, give them a bit of water as per Ian, then leave them in the open envelope - they usually stay in either the kitchen or the old outside washroom on a slate slab - both unheated and about 15 to 20 degrees Celsius even in summer

 

[thedozzer]

Thanks all. kitchen cupboard or draw with a wipe of water its is then.
Then see how the introduction goes?
More sitting on our hands for days waiting to see what the bees do!

PS does anyone have an ideal size for the push in cage? i have seen as small as 3" x 3" and as large as 6" X 6"
And there is a lot of different ideas on where to place it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks all. kitchen cupboard or draw with a wipe of water its is then.
Then see how the introduction goes?
More sitting on our hands for days waiting to see what the bees do!

PS does anyone have an ideal size for the push in cage? i have seen as small as 3" x 3" and as large as 6" X 6"
And there is a lot of different ideas on where to place it.

I make my own 6"x6"
They go on a patch of emerging brood and food
If there isn't a handy patch of food next to the brood just scrape a nice chunk from somewhere else and press it under the cage.
You can tip the queen and attendants in under the cage or if you are uncomfortable handling the queen you can simply scrape most of the fondant out of the introduction cage and leave that under the push in

 

[thedozzer]

I make my own 6"x6"
They go on a patch of emerging brood and food
If there isn't a handy patch of food next to the brood just scrape a nice chunk from somewhere else and press it under the cage.
You can tip the queen and attendants in under the cage or if you are uncomfortable handling the queen you can simply scrape most of the fondant out of the introduction cage and leave that under the push in

Thank you.
Will make my own as well, have ordered two lots of mesh, one lot of no 8 stainless mesh and some Varroa mesh.

Not sure we will have much emerging brood, recently mated queens, only just started laying, just larvae last weekend, so still have more than 7 days to hatch. one may have got some brood to share! i know its not ideal.
I have read that some try and add a few nurse bees as well?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes you need nurse bees. I shake a couple of frames worth in or a supers worth of young bees.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I have around forty queens a year from GM. Always use the original cage they come in.

If going in a full hive, put in for a day without breaking tab from plug end, next day break off tab a leave for at least a week before looking.

I would also recommend always removing workers from the cage, as does Ged.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I never remove the workers and hasn't been an issue with any introduction.

 

[Ian123]

I’ve always removed the attendants and speaking to most breeders I think it’s the normal advice, but like most things beekeeping pays your money takes your choice.

 

[thedozzer]

Just a quick update, followed everyone's advice and gave them a smear of water every 8-10 hours, SWMBO decided that they might like a drop of honey as well!!
They had nearly eaten half way through the candy plug when we put then in the push in cages.
We found some hatching brood on frames in each hive, so they were used. one had lots of honey in the corner, the other we have put some fondant in as there was very little stores.
The bees didn't seem that interested in the cages, there was a little bit of tongue sticking out going on but no angry buzzing.

Next Question, how long do we leave the queens in the cages before its safe to let them free?
Have read about 4 days, then see how the bees are behaving towards them?

The cages at 1" deep were far to deep, the frames are quite a bit apart at the moment, how deep do others make the push cages. we made them 5" x 6"

 

[thedozzer]

Update 2, hive inspection today, both hives very calm.
Had a good look though the hive for QC and nothing, had a look at push cages and bees attentive but not aggressive, Removed cages in both hives and both just walked off, no drama, with just a few attendants following and rubbing their antenna against the side of the Q, in one hive the was a tiny bit of licking the side of the queen as well. but all looked good so 2 new queens introduced successfully so far.
So would like to say thank you for help & advice.

only issues were, push cages were to tall/deep 25mm sticks out, would say around 18mm max. but 125mm x 150mm looks ok for width & length.