When you get your queen, don't panic and think you need to throw her in the hive right away. She will hold a few days in a nice quiet warm location like behind some books on a bookcase. Keep her out of the sun.
Make sure you put a drop or two of water on the screen cage once in the morning and again in the evening.
Find the old queen and remove her from the established colony. Wait at least 24 hours before putting the new queen in.
I like to use a one inch "shim", which is placed on top of the bars. This allows you to lay the queen cage down (I hate putting it between frames) and the queen will be at a place where heat will keep her warm. Make sure the bees find her. **Do not do this if all the cluster is in the bottom box.
Wait three days and do the "finger test". If the bees on the cage are moving about and can be move with a light finger bump, they probably have taken to her. And you can let her out by taking out the cork on the non-candy side and immediately putting the cage back in the hive.
If the bes on the cage have a "death grip" and will not move for you, put the cage back in for another 3-4 days. Then repeat.
If you can not find the old queen, make up a nuc with a few very well scanned frames of brrod/bees/honey. Get the new queen accepted with a few framesof bees and in the meantime you can look a couple more times for the queen if needed.
Bet it's cold up there right now...
Make sure you put a drop or two of water on the screen cage once in the morning and again in the evening.
Find the old queen and remove her from the established colony. Wait at least 24 hours before putting the new queen in.
I like to use a one inch "shim", which is placed on top of the bars. This allows you to lay the queen cage down (I hate putting it between frames) and the queen will be at a place where heat will keep her warm. Make sure the bees find her. **Do not do this if all the cluster is in the bottom box.
Wait three days and do the "finger test". If the bees on the cage are moving about and can be move with a light finger bump, they probably have taken to her. And you can let her out by taking out the cork on the non-candy side and immediately putting the cage back in the hive.
If the bes on the cage have a "death grip" and will not move for you, put the cage back in for another 3-4 days. Then repeat.
If you can not find the old queen, make up a nuc with a few very well scanned frames of brrod/bees/honey. Get the new queen accepted with a few framesof bees and in the meantime you can look a couple more times for the queen if needed.
Bet it's cold up there right now...
