As many of you probably are experiencing, we've had a short cold snap in
the last few days. As timing would have it, this was just when my queens
were about to be shipped (both of 'em- being a parent takes up of my
time these days).
 
My question to the group is "What did I do dumb?" When the queens
arrived, I noticed that everything was dead except for one
worker and happily the queens in both cages. I let them get adjusted to
room temperature when I brought them in. I remembered from many
years ago that package bees are to get a bit of sugar water, so I took a
teaspoon out of some syrup I was mixing up for a split I made earlier
this month, and put a drop on the wire surface. I was happy to see both
the worker and the queen in both cages lapping it up.
(The water was Culligan drinking water.)
 
 Imagine my surprise 15 minutes later when I returned to find the worker
and the queen dead in both cages.
 
 Can anyone tell me how my $14.00 mistake happened?
 (Sorry for the elementary nature of the post.)
 
 Still a novice after all these years- Phil Wood
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