> When should we place our  packages  (that we are getting this Sat.
> 4/7  from Portland,  via Northern CA)  into hive boxes,   if the weather
is
> cold and rainy ???????

Dear Elizabeth,

Well, the rule of thumb is the sooner you can get your packages installed,
the better off you are.  Cold is less of a concern than is rainy, and
actually, rainy may work in your favor too depending how heavily it rains.
If it's a pouring rain, store your packages in a cool dark place and pray
for a nicer day.  But if it's a light misty day, (a soft day in Ireland) the
sort of rain that has one use intermittant setting on the windshield wipers,
then get out there and install your packages!  On such a day, the bees will
not be inclined to fly and will stay put in their new home.  This is a good
thing.

Remember when installing packages to get as many bees as possible shaken
from the cage into the hive.  Don't be timid about the shaking, the bees can
take the banging required to shake them out of the corners.  I have seen
many packages installed with a cup full or more of bees left inside the
cage.  When asked why the beekeeper left the bees behind they reply they
couldn't get the bees out and figured the bees would figure out where to go.
What the bees figure out is to cluster where they are inside the package,
where they won't have a mass large enough to thermoregulate (especially on a
misty day) and they will surely perish.

Good luck!

Sincerely,
Aaron Morris