The first thing to remember is that these are shook bees that have been taken from their hive, then possibly shipped hundreds of miles. They will be under considerable stress, but they should also be calm.

In order to install the package of bees, you will need fairly good weather. Try not to install them in the rain, or at temperatures below 60 degrees F. If you need to keep them indoors for a few days until the weather clears up, they should be fine. Just make sure that they have plenty of feed. These bees will also put off a considerable amount of heat, and should be stored in a cool area with plenty of ventilation.

Before your bees arrive, you should have all the equipment you will need ready to go. You will need a deep hive body (or medium if you prefer), a hive stand, bottom board, inner cover, and outer cover. Besides these items, you will need to have ten frames ready to go and inside the hive body. Also make sure you have a hive tool, frame grips, veil, and some form of feeder. We recommend some kind of bottle feeder that you can turn upside down over the hole in the inner cover, or on the frames.

C. What you will see now is a round hole in the box with a metal can pushed down in it, this is the feeding can. You should also see a metal tab sticking out beside the can, this is the tab that the queen cage is suspended from inside the package. Grab the tap and gently pry the feeding can out of the package. Once you have the feed can out, pull the queen cage out by the tab, then place the top plate back over the hole to keep the bees in.

D. Now pick up the queen cage and shake off the clinging attendant bees into the hive. Then using your hive tool, remove the cork from the end of the cage that has the queen candy. Then put in one of the three frames that you removed, leaving enough space to drop the queen cage between that frame and frame next to it. Then lower the queen cage into that space with the candy side down. Note: Do not have the screened side of the cage facing the comb, or foundation. The bees need to be able to get to her to feed her. After you lower her down into that space, fold the tab over the top bar of the frame, and make sure she isn't going to fall down into the hive. Then push the frame against the frame next to it.

E. Once you have the queen securely in the hive, pick up the package and remove the top plate. Now turn the package upside down over the hive and dump them out into the space that the next two frames will go. If there are many bees left in the box, turn it on its side and rap on a couple of times to knock the bees into a cluster. Then repeat by dumping them into the hive. Once you have most of the bees in the hive, sit the package box down and put the inner cover on, making sure not to crush any bees.

F. If you are using a can or bottle feeder with small holes in the lid to let the syrup drip out, place it upside down over the hole in the inner cover, making sure not to completely shut off the hole. Alternately you can simply sit it upside down over the frames. If you place the feeder over the inner cover, some people use shims to raise it up off of the hole so they're not blocking it with the feeder.

G. If you placed the feeder over the inner cover, put a deep around it on top of the inner cover, then put the outer cover on, and place a weight on top of the inner cover. If you placed the feeder on top of the frames, place the deep around the feeder on top of the bottom deep, then put the inner and outer covers on. You may use other types of feeders. However we recommend feeding over the inner cover or, the frames to avoid drowning any of the bees. Right now you have no brood, and if you drown to many bees you may doom the package.

Notes: You will need to feed the bees until there is a nectar flow on. It is a good idea to feed them until they have at least one deep box of combs drawn. They will need lots of feed to drawn that comb. If you already have some drawn comb that you are sure is disease free, it would be a good idea to give it to them so the queen can start laying right away.

It may also be a good idea to put an entrance reducer on until they are strong enough to defend the hive.

Good luck!