Installing bees into your hive
If you have ordered packaged bees from your local farm supply company, you’ll want to make sure your hive is set up and ready to accept your bees.
Things you’ll need for adding your bees:
- Complete hive setup with in-hive feeder
- Smoker (fuel, lighter, etc) - learn how to use, light and extinguish a smoker
- Beekeeping Clothing (jacket or suit, gloves, veil)
- Hive Tool
- Small marshmallow or some other soft candy
- Mister if transporting bees on hot day
"Adding Bees to Your Hive" Guide
Download more in-depth instructions from our professional beekeepers to print and take with you!
A valuable printout to have handy when you install your bees!
Laminate it and bring it out in the field with you year after year!
Several great tips and safety precautions!
Laminate it and bring it out in the field with you year after year!
Several great tips and safety precautions!
Steps to adding bees from the 3 lb box into your hive:
- Smoke 3 lb bee box.
- In your deep combo box, fill up your in-hive feeder with a gallon of liquid bee feed.
- Remove nearly all frames and set aside. Keep in-hive feeder in place.
- You’ll want to remove the queen cage from the box and prepare it before adding all the bees. To do this, use the hive tool to loosen the feeding can on the box of bees.
- Lift and loosen tab containing queen cage
- Tap 3 lb bee box on hard surface to shift bees to bottom of box.
- Quickly remove feeding can from box in order to remove queen cage tab
- Replace feeding can
- With marshmallow in hand, locate cork on queen cage. Make sure queen is at the opposite end and use hive tool to remove cork. Replace cork with marshmallow.
- Insert queen cage tab into top side of frame. Twist cage so that screened (open) side is facing along honeycomb.
- Place frame with queen on it back into hive.
- Again, tap 3 lb bee box on hard surface to shift bees to bottom of box.
- Remove feeding can from box, tip upside down and shake gently over hive to add bees into hive. If there are still a lot of bees left in the box, place it on top of the frames and allow bees to exit box and enter hive.
- Once all bees are out of the box, place frames back into hive, add inner cover and top.
Get all this information and more in our Free Beginner Beekeeping Guide!
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