On Wed, 3 Apr 1996, Kriston M. Bruland wrote:
 
> On Apr 3,  2:23pm, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> > Subject: Package Intallation
>
> < stuff deleted>
>
> >      Anyone else release queens directly?  Anyone have problems doing it?
> >
>
> My packages last year came with instructions to direct release the queen,
> so I did and had good results with this method.  It took the queen about 4
> days to start laying.  I started with foundation only and the bees had the
> cells in the center 4 or 5 frames partially drawn very quickly.
>
> The queens had been with the bees about 4 days when I received them.  I hived
> the bees about an hour before dusk after spraying them with water. -
 Hi  I have released directly for about 20 years. I cheat a little.I put
a few drops af vanilla extract in a pint spray bottle and give the bees a
few  sprays when I have them poured into the new hive. Then I give the
queen cage a little spray and release the queen down in between the
frames. I time I opened up a queen cage and the queen took off flying
around and I set the queen cage down and the queen landed on it, which
gave me time to grab her. They have a great keen sense of smell , now I'm
careful to keep her in the cage until my hand is down in the hive.
 I going down to California in the morning to pick up 70 packages and
some queens.When you hive more than 30 its good to have help. Preplanning
is very important.Have the feeders done and if your going to have brood
with the package have someone help and only do the brood.That way the
brood boxs can have the cover put on after each frame is taken out. You
just need extra hands so you don't get some robbing started.I do it in
the evening like most everyone else. That is important.
  I'm just like one of my kids tonight, can't wait until 4:00 AM when we
leave to get the bees.I'm glad I booked my order in January  I have been
told that most of the breeders are all booked up for the year.If that is
true , we need to get more beekeepers educated about the mite , but most
of them now like myself have learned the hard way. You blink your eye and
Varroa will get you a lot faster than you realize. Stress, stress and
stress of any kind and things bad happen fast.Put in a apistan strip in
if your in the US when you hive your bees.Put it where the bees go in and
out of the hive. I reduce the opening to the middle and place one strip
close to the front of the box in the middle.
 Bee Happy
 Roy