Well, I have to eat some words here...
 
I just installed 800+ packages and have to eat crow about releasing
the queen at the time of dumping the bees in.  We've done that
without any problem many times in the past, but there is always
something new...
 
We got our packages Sunday night and were eager to install Monday.
 
The forecast was for 16 degrees C -- maximum -- with clouds and rain
in the afternoon, which is about ideal for installing and so we
started in the morning to put some in.
 
We had 300 or so in by lunch, and released the queens as we went
along adding the bees to the BCs.  We syrupped the Q's to prevent
flying as we worked.  The bees were pretty cool and not runny.
 
Well by about 1 PM the temperature was up to 24 degrees C and after
lunch, I went outside to find a 20 lb swarm bending one of my
favourite trees.
 
Over the afternoon, we had several more, but managed to catch them all
and box them.
 
After checking, we found that we had lost relatively few queens, but
some of the hives had lost quite few bees and we have our work cut
out equalising later.
 
Anyhow, I guess I should never have believed a weather forecast, but
I did and it cost me a few $$ and a lot of extra work.
 
As for the rest of the packages, we waited until dusk, and left the
queen in her box on top of the frames (under a sack) for a day, then
direct released them -- it takes only 15 seconds per hive.
 
Still it is a a lot of extra work, and the queens get a slower start,
BUT we do know where they are living this way.
 
I've not seen this before -- package queens up and *swarming* out of
a new home, but then we have almost always waited until dusk.  I've
seen the bees drift badly when installed on or before a hot day, but
not anything like this.
 
These bees had flown in from NZ, and were packed with CO2, and I
wonder if they were affected by that.
 
They looked a bit draggy, and that is one reason we rushed to install
them.  We were worried that they might not keep in packages for long.
 In fact, the last ones put in (Tuesday night) were starting to die
off a bit, so I guess we were justified in our hurry.
 
The irony is that this was the only decently warm day we've had all
spring!  And our packages had to come right then.
 
So, take my previous advice about direct release with a grain of
salt, and use your judgement.  If in doubt, release later.
 
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
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Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>