Transferring a newly acquired colony of Apis mellifera into its permanent housing is a foundational beekeeping procedure. This process involves moving bees, whether they arrive as a nucleus colony (nuc) or a package, from their temporary container into a full-sized hive body. A successful transfer minimizes stress and allows the queen to quickly begin laying eggs. Performing this installation quickly and gently is necessary to prevent absconding and ensure the colony’s rapid growth.
Essential Preparations for the Transfer
The preparation phase begins by selecting the ideal time for the transfer, typically late afternoon or early evening. This timing is strategic because most foraging bees have returned to the colony, minimizing the number of bees lost during the disruption. Before opening any bee container, the beekeeper must wear a complete bee suit, veil, and gloves for protection.
The smoker should be lit and producing cool, white smoke, which disrupts the bees’ alarm pheromones and causes them to gorge on honey. Necessary tools, including a hive tool and a feeder filled with 1:1 sugar syrup, should be placed within easy reach. Having all equipment ready prevents unnecessary delays that could stress the colony.
The permanent hive structure must be fully assembled and properly leveled on its stand at the intended location. The bottom board, deep hive body, and inner cover should be in place, containing the necessary number of frames (usually ten for a standard deep box). Placing an entrance reducer at the front opening is a proactive measure that helps the small, newly installed colony defend against robber bees or pests.
Step-by-Step Guide for Nuc Transfer
Transferring a nucleus colony (nuc) is simpler because the bees are already established on drawn comb. A nuc contains four or five frames that include brood, pollen, honey stores, and the laying queen, providing an instant jump-start to the full-sized hive. The process begins with a light application of smoke over the top bars of the nuc frames to calm the inhabitants before the lid is removed.
Once the lid is off, the first frame is lifted gently, keeping it vertical to avoid rolling the queen or damaging the brood cells. The beekeeper systematically moves the frames, one by one, from the nuc box directly into the center of the new hive body. Maintaining the exact sequence and orientation they held in the nuc minimizes disruption to the brood nest and the colony’s internal organization.
The established nuc frames are placed adjacent to each other in the new hive, and the remaining space is filled with undrawn foundation frames. After all frames are transferred, any remaining cluster of bees clinging to the inside walls of the nuc box should be gently shaken into the main hive body. The inner cover and outer lid are then replaced immediately to secure the colony. This method allows the queen to continue her oviposition cycle almost without interruption.
Step-by-Step Guide for Package Bee Transfer
Installing a package of bees is a more involved process because the bees are loose within a screened box and must build a new home from scratch. A package typically consists of 10,000 to 15,000 worker bees and a separate queen in a small wooden cage. The first step involves removing the feeder can, which exposes the queen cage suspended inside the package.
The queen cage is carefully removed and inspected to confirm the queen is alive and healthy. The candy plug hole, which workers chew through for slow release, should be exposed. To encourage acceptance, the queen cage is secured by hanging it between two central frames in the new hive body, ensuring the screen side is accessible to the worker bees.
Next, the hive body is prepared by removing four or five central frames to create a large open space. The package is inverted over this void, and the mass of worker bees is sharply shaken out of the container and onto the bottom of the hive. This sudden displacement causes the bees to drop and cluster around the suspended queen cage.
The remaining frames are then gently replaced around the newly formed cluster, taking care not to crush any bees, particularly the queen. The goal is to quickly contain the loose bees and allow them to begin drawing comb and establishing the brood nest. The inner cover and outer lid are placed back on the hive immediately to minimize the flight of disoriented workers.
Initial Post-Transfer Colony Management
Following the physical transfer, the focus shifts to ensuring the colony’s successful establishment. The most important action is providing immediate nutritional support, typically through a top feeder filled with a 1:1 sugar syrup solution. This readily available carbohydrate source provides the energy necessary for the worker bees to draw new wax comb, which is an energetically expensive process.
The entrance reducer installed during preparation plays a protective role, limiting the hive opening to a small gap (perhaps one or two centimeters wide). A small entrance is easier for the newly installed colony to defend against potential threats like wasps or robbing bees. Reducing the entrance size is particularly important for package bees, which have no established defensive structure.
For package installations, the beekeeper should perform a brief check three to four days later to confirm the queen has been successfully released from her cage. If the candy plug remains intact, the beekeeper must manually release the queen. The first full inspection, checking for established comb, eggs, and larvae, should be performed no sooner than seven days post-transfer to allow the colony time to settle and for the queen to begin a consistent laying pattern.