This document provides information on getting started with beekeeping, including apiary location, working colonies, and four ways to start: packages, swarms, nucleus colonies, and established colonies. It focuses on installing package bees, with step-by-step instructions including removing frames, the shipping package and queen cage, placing the package in the hive, securing the queen cage, and monitoring acceptance of the queen over subsequent days and weeks.

1. Chapter 4
Getting started
PPT by Richard Hebert,
Hebert Honey Farm
Chapter topics
Apiary Locations
Four ways to get started
Working a colony
Installing package bees
Installing swarms
Installing nucleus colonies
Buying established colonies

2. Apiary Location

3. • Be mindful of neighbors and yourself
• Out of the way of people, pets, and livestock
• Avoid low/wet areas
• Direct sun to mostly sunny
• Wind break
• Convenient access
• Comfortable height
• Grass and weed control
• Nearby water

4. Working the Colony
• The Smoker
Lighting the smoker
Fuel sources
Precautions

5. Four ways to Start
Swarm
Package
Nucleus colony
Established colony

6. Package Bees
2/3 pounds of bees plus the queen
by mail
100$+/- plus shipping
Available March/ May
Can be shipped almost anywhere
Fairly available
-Package is slow to take off (21 day)
Be Prepared for the bees:
have equipment and hive ready
Hive needs to be painted and setup
Veil and tools
Feeder and sugar syrup
Water sprayer
Keep them cool and shaded

7. Install Procedure
• Step 1. Start out by removing four to five frames from one side
• Step 2. Remove the Card Board cover from the shipping
package with either a hive tool or knife (the cardboard cover is
there to hold in the can of sugar syrup, not to keep the Bees in
place, Bees will not come out when the card board cover is
removed)
• Step 3. Remove the can of Syrup from the Package.
• Step 4. Remove the Queen Cage from the package (the Queen
cage is shipped with either a strip of aluminum or wire
attached to it so that it can be attached to a frame within the
hive. DO NOT remove the wire or strip)

8. Step 5. Place the package directly in the hive body Bees and all in the space
where the frames were removed from
Step 6. Remove the Cork from the Candy end of the Queen Cage and using a
nail make a hole through the candy which will aid the workers both inside the
Queen cage and outside eat through the candy to release the Queen.
Step 7. Using a Thumb Tack, secure the Queen Cage to the frame directly next
to the shipping package in the center of the 6th and 7th frames making sure
that the screen face is where the bees can feed the queen.
Step 8. Replace Inner Cover and Top
Step 9. Fill Feeder Jar with remaining sugar syrup that was shipped with the
Bees. Top Off Sugar Water if needed and place Feeder Jar in Feeder

9. • One day after installing the package remove the top of the hive and
remove the Shipping Cage from the Hive and replace the frames.
• Do not disturb the Queen Cage.
• Shake out any remaining Bees left in the package on the ground in front
of the hive.
• Leave Bees alone for at least 3 more days.
• On the 5th day after installation check to make sure the Queen has been
released.
• If the Queen has not been released check to see that the Bees are
accepting the Queen.
• This can be done by observing how the Bees are acting on the outside of
the Queen Cage (see picture below) for aggressive behavior such as biting
at the cage.

10. • If the Queen has not been released check to see that the Bees are
accepting the Queen.
• This can be done by observing how the Bees are acting on the outside of
the Queen Cage (see picture below) for aggressive behavior such as biting
at the cage.
• Aggressive behavior is easy to see as the Bees will seem agitated and will
move about quickly on the Queen Cage.
• Bees that are calm such as the ones in the picture below have accepted
their new Queen.
• At this time the Queen can be released from her cage by removing the
cork from the end opposite the candy.
• Replace the Queen Cage and let the Queen come out on her own, DO
NOT try to remover her yourself.
• If the Queen has been released remove the Queen Cage and close the
hive Covers.

11. 3 Week Check
• There should be a few frames of seal brood.
• You may see young bees emerging from their cells, if so close up the colony and
continue feeding sugar syrup.
• If brood quantity is small or irregular, this indicates a bad queen that must be replaced.

12. Swams
Installing Swarms
• Personal Safety
• Tools needed:
• ladder
• bee brush
• pruning shears
• 5 gal. bucket with
• screen lid or nuc
box

13. • Just rake them into a hive
• Most swarms readily accept a new home
• Swarming occurs March-June (April being the
peak month)

14. Installing nucleus colonies

15. Buying established colonies

16. Comments and Questions