Rodney Angell wrote:
>
> I received three queens three days ago so they have been in the cage for
> about a week.  The bees are moving around slowly in the cage so I placed
> them in a hive with the corks still in so they couldn't get out.

Rodney,
How long will queens survive? Everyday they are in a queen cage away
from a hive of bees in my opinion lessons their chances.
Queens can be kept in the house for a week but i like to have nucs
allready made up before queens arrive. I have put many queens in in the
rain when nucs are allready made up. Just cut out the queen cells later
if any.
If your queens were sent with a apistan queen tab take those off as soon
as you receive. Most queen breeders send instructions saying to remove
upon arrival. Bee supply houses have noticed the systems you describe
when Apistan tabs have been left on cages. I get my queens in a box with
a couple pounds of bees around them and without attendents. I believe
queens ship better that way. A old package box you can usually get free
for the asking works great when a pound or two of bees are shook in on
top of queens. The syrup feeder can be filled and you can keep that way.
The best senario is to be ready when queens arrive. You don't want to be
standing in the yard with a queen in your hand and realize you don't
have enough brood to make splits.
Also the first thing i do upon queen arrival is put a drop of water on
screen of queen cage and everyday if kept in house.
You will probabbly be ok by putting queens in a queenright hive but a
queenless nuc or nuc with a couple pounds of bees and a frame of honey
might be a better choice.
You didn't say which queen cages you received and if you were using the
queens for requeening or increase. I might have been able to help better
with more information.
Bob Harrison U.S.A.