Queen Introduction
Guidelines for Introducing Queen Bees
Preparing for queens' arrival
To increase the likelihood of acceptance, ensure the colony has been queenless for at least 8 days and remove any queen cells. Deprived of alternatives, the colony is more likely to accept a new queen.
Please, create queenless colonies only after receiving our confirmation that the queens will be sent on time. We will inform you 10 days before the delivery date.
Receiving the queens
When you receive the new bee queens, it's essential to provide immediate care by providing the bees with water. Simply put a damp paper tissue on the ventilation holes of their cages.
After receiving the queens, introduce them to colonies as promptly as possible. If unable to do so, the queens can survive in their cages for a few days if maintained in a quiet, room-temperature setting.
Provided that you would like to bank the queens for a longer time, place them into queenless colonies that do not have any open brood. Remove the attendants from the transportation cage beforehand.
Introducing the queens
Introduce queen by placing her cage in the middle of the brood area, hanging from a top bar. Open the end of the cage to expose the candy, allowing bees to begin the integration process. Checking for new eggs within 5-6 days can confirm the queen's acceptance without the need to locate her physically. It's crucial not to disturb the colony during this period.
Changing sub-species
Introducing a queen from a different race might initially be accepted by the colony. However, the colony may initiate supersedure of the new queen. Check for new queen cells every 5-7 days for 21 day period.