The standard practice, which seems to be taught to all new beekeepers, is
to release the queen after about three to seven days (depends on the
teacher) if it has not been released by the bees chewing through the candy
plug.

Why? Why not release the queen that day instead of three + days later? I
realize that some teach that you can do it but it is not preferred. Some
never mention it.

I can see leaving her caged on the top bars when shaking the bees into the
hive. But after that, why not release her?

The only other reason I can think of is to keep them around if there is no
drawn foundation.

But, with my first package many years ago, I screwed up and released the
queen right after shaking the bees and all was well. That was on un-drawn
foundation, so it seems that that might not be an issue, especially when
you consider feral swarms set up shop with nothing.

So why is it being taught? I understand the reason if you are installing a
new queen in an established colony  for proper queen acceptance, but not in
a package where the bees have been with the queen long enough to have
already accepted her.

My guess is commercial operators do not bother with the three+ day
"quarantine" with packages.

Why not get everything off to an early start?

Happy to be corrected.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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