Installing a Package of Bees: Step by Step

The package arrives, and suddenly it is real. A wooden-and-wire screen cage sits in front of you, humming with the collective vibration of roughly ten thousand living bees. Inside, a single queen waits in her own small cage, separated from the workers by a layer of candy plug. Somewhere in the cage ceiling, a tin can of sugar syrup is slowly emptying, keeping the colony fed during its journey from the bee yard that produced it to your driveway.

Installing a package of bees is one of the most thrilling moments in beekeeping — and one of the simplest. The bees want to be in a hive. Your job is mostly to get them from point A to point B without unnecessary stress, either for them or for you. This guide covers every step from the day before installation through the end of the critical first week, with troubleshooting for the problems beginners encounter most often.

What Is a Package of Bees?

A package of bees is exactly what it sounds like: a measured quantity of honey bees shipped or picked up in a screened container. The standard package holds approximately 3 pounds of worker bees (roughly 10,000 to 12,000 individuals), one caged mated queen, and a tin can of sugar syrup that feeds the bees during transit. The cage itself is usually a rectangular wooden frame with screen mesh on two sides, measuring roughly 6 inches wide by 7 inches tall by 16 inches long.

How Packages Are Produced

Package producers in the southern United States — primarily Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and California — shake bees from strong, healthy colonies into funneled collection boxes during early spring. The bees are funneled into the screened packages, weighed to reach the 3-pound mark, and given a freshly mated queen in a separate queen cage. A tin can filled with sugar syrup (typically a 1:1 ratio by weight) is inserted through the top opening as a food source. The can includes small punctures that allow bees to feed slowly without drowning.

From the moment the bees are shaken into the package, they are a community of strangers. These workers came from multiple colonies, so the first order of business — even before they reach your hive — is that they must accept their new queen and begin functioning as a unified colony. This process starts during transit and continues after installation.

💡 Order early. Most suppliers take package orders beginning in December or January for April and May delivery. Popular suppliers sell out by February. Place your order for a 3-pound package with a mated queen as soon as you commit to beekeeping.

What You Receive

Component	Description
Worker bees	~10,000--12,000 workers (3 lb), mixed ages, from multiple source colonies
Queen cage	Small wooden or plastic cage (~3" x 1" x 5/8") with a mated queen, 5--10 attendant bees, and a candy plug
Syrup can	Tin can (~16 oz) with small holes, filled with 1:1 sugar syrup for transit feeding
Screened cage	Wooden frame with wire mesh, top opening covered by the syrup can

Before Installation Day

Preparation separates a smooth installation from a chaotic one. Get everything ready before your package arrives so you can focus on the bees, not on hunting for your hive tool.

Equipment Checklist

Gather these items before installation day:

Fully assembled and positioned hive — One deep brood box with 9 or 10 frames of drawn comb or foundation, bottom board, inner cover, and outer cover, placed on a level stand in your chosen apiary location
Entrance reducer — Set to the smallest opening (about 1 inch) to help the small colony defend against robbing
Spray bottle — Filled with a 1:1 sugar-water solution (by volume is fine for spraying)
Hive tool — For prying off the syrup can, removing the queen cage, and manipulating frames
Bee suit or jacket with veil — Wear it. This is not the day to test your bravery.
Gloves — Optional but recommended for your first installation
Feeder — A boardman (entrance) feeder, division board feeder, or hive-top feeder filled with 1:1 sugar syrup
Small nail or bent piece of wire — For poking through the candy plug if needed, or for hanging the queen cage between frames
A small bucket or cardboard box — To hold the empty package cage and syrup can after installation

Timing Your Installation

Aim to install your package the same day you receive it, ideally in the late afternoon or early evening (between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM). Cooler temperatures and fading daylight calm the bees and reduce the chance of excessive flying. If the package arrives in the morning and you cannot install until evening, keep it in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place — a garage or basement works well. Mist the screen lightly with sugar water once or twice during the day to keep the bees hydrated.

⚠️ Do not leave the package in direct sun or a hot vehicle. Bees can overheat and die within hours. If the outside temperature exceeds 90°F, install immediately. If you must wait, keep the package below 75°F and mist the screen every few hours.

Weather Considerations

Condition	Recommendation
50--65°F, calm	Ideal conditions. Install at your convenience.
65--80°F, calm	Good conditions. Install in late afternoon.
Above 80°F	Install early morning or late evening to reduce stress.
Rain (light)	Proceed with installation. Bees tolerate light rain fine.
Heavy rain or thunderstorms	Delay one day if possible. Keep package cool and misted indoors.
Windy (above 15 mph)	Try to wait for calmer conditions. Wind blows bees away from the hive.

Step-by-Step Installation: The Shake Method

The shake method is the standard, time-tested approach to installing a package. It is fast, effective, and used by commercial beekeepers everywhere. The idea is simple: spray the bees to calm them, remove the queen cage and place it in the hive, then physically shake the remaining bees out of the package and into the brood box.

Step 1: Prepare the Hive

Remove the outer cover, inner cover, and 4 to 5 frames from the center of the brood box. Set these frames aside on a clean surface. You are creating an open cavity in the middle of the box where you will shake the bees. Ensure the entrance reducer is in place with the smallest opening.

Step 2: Spray the Package

Set the package on the ground near the hive. Lightly mist the bees through the screen with your sugar-water spray bottle. You want to moisten their wings slightly — not soak them to the point that syrup drips. Wait 2 to 3 minutes. The syrup calms the bees and makes them less inclined to fly.

Step 3: Remove the Syrup Can

Give the package a single firm bump on the ground to knock the bees down to the bottom of the cage. Use your hive tool to pry the syrup can out of the top opening. Set the can aside in your bucket. The top of the cage now has an open hole where the can was.

Step 4: Remove the Queen Cage

Reach through the top opening and carefully pull the queen cage out. It is usually stapled or clipped to the inside of the package near the top. Check that the queen is alive and moving. You should see her through the screen or mesh of the queen cage, along with a few attendant workers.

✅ Do: Inspect the queen immediately. If she arrives dead, contact your supplier right away — most will send a replacement. Do not install a dead queen.

Step 5: Prepare and Place the Queen Cage

Remove the cork or metal disc covering the candy plug on the queen cage. Do not remove the candy plug itself. The candy plug acts as a slow-release timer — the workers will eat through it over the next 2 to 4 days, releasing the queen gradually. This delay gives the colony time to accept her pheromones.

Slide the queen cage between two frames in the center of the brood box, with the screen facing outward (toward you, not against the comb or foundation). The cage should be positioned so the candy plug faces slightly upward or sideways — never pointing straight down, as melted candy can drip and block the exit. Use a small nail or piece of wire bent into a hook to suspend the cage if your frames do not have a natural gap.

Some queen cages have a metal tab for hanging. Bend the tab over the top bar of a frame and push the frames gently together to hold it in place.

Step 6: Shake the Bees

Hold the package over the open cavity in the brood box. Give the package one firm, confident downward shake — like shaking a thermometer. Most of the bees will fall into the box in a clump. Give the package a second and third shake to dislodge the remaining bees.

❌ Don't panic if bees are flying. Some will take flight during the shake. This is completely normal. They will orient to the hive within minutes.

Step 7: Replace the Frames

Gently slide the removed frames back into the brood box, positioning them around the cluster of bees. Push slowly. The bees will move out of the way — they are surprisingly forgiving of slow, steady pressure. Do not crush bees by forcing frames quickly. Leave the queen cage in place between two frames near the center.

Step 8: Install the Feeder

Place your feeder filled with 1:1 sugar syrup on or in the hive. If using a boardman (entrance) feeder, push it into the entrance. If using a division board feeder, set it inside the brood box in place of one frame. If using a hive-top feeder, place it above the inner cover.

Step 9: Close the Hive

Replace the inner cover and outer cover. Leave the package cage on the ground in front of the hive entrance. Any remaining bees in the cage will find their way into the hive within a few hours.

Step 10: Walk Away

This is the hardest step for beginners. Once the hive is closed, leave it alone for 3 to 5 days. Do not open it to check. Do not peek. The colony needs undisturbed time to accept the queen, begin building comb, and establish itself. Opening the hive too early can cause the bees to reject or kill the queen.

💡 Watch from a distance. After installation, sit nearby (10 to 15 feet away) and watch the entrance for 15 to 30 minutes. You should see bees fanning at the entrance — they are releasing Nasanov pheromone to tell their nestmates "this is home." That is the sign everything is going well.

Alternative: The No-Shake Method

If the idea of shaking ten thousand bees into a box makes you uneasy, there is a gentler alternative. It takes longer but reduces flying bees and stress on the colony.

Remove 4 to 5 frames from the center of the brood box as described above.
Remove the syrup can and queen cage from the package.
Install the queen cage between two frames (same as Step 5 above).
Place the open package cage inside the brood box, lying on its side in the open cavity, with the open hole facing up.
Replace the inner cover and outer cover.
Come back in 24 to 48 hours. The bees will have walked out of the package cage and onto the frames.
Open the hive, remove the empty package cage, and replace the missing frames.

The no-shake method works well but has a downside: it adds another hive opening during the critical acceptance period. For most beekeepers, the shake method is preferable because it is done in one session.

Queen Release

Getting the queen out of her cage and accepted by the colony is the single most important milestone in the first week.

Indirect Release (Recommended)

With indirect release, you leave the candy plug intact and let the workers eat through it over 2 to 4 days. This is the standard approach because it forces a gradual introduction. By the time the queen walks free, the colony has been exposed to her pheromones for several days and almost universally accepts her.

Direct Release (Not Recommended for Beginners)

Direct release means you remove the candy plug yourself and let the queen walk out onto a frame immediately. This is risky because the workers have had almost no time to accept her. Direct release is appropriate only for experienced beekeepers who are confident in their ability to assess colony temperament.

Checking for Queen Release (Day 3 to 5)

Open the hive briefly on day 3 or 4 to check whether the queen has been released from her cage.

If the cage is empty: Excellent. Close the hive and come back on day 7 to check for eggs.
If the cage still has a candy plug: Use a small nail or toothpick to gently poke through the remaining candy to speed up the release. Do not push the queen out. Close the hive and check again in 2 days.
If the queen is dead in the cage: Remove her immediately and contact your supplier for a replacement. You may need to introduce a new queen or combine the colony with another hive.

⚠️ If the workers are biting or clustering aggressively on the queen cage, they have not accepted her yet. Close the hive immediately and wait another 2 days before checking again.

The First Week

The first seven days after installation set the trajectory for your colony's entire season. Here is what should happen and when.

Day 1: Installation

Bees are clustered on the frames. The queen is in her cage. The feeder is in place. Stay away.

Day 3 to 5: Queen Release Check

Open the hive briefly. Verify the queen is free. Do not spend more than 2 to 3 minutes with the hive open.

Day 7: First Real Inspection

By day 7, you should see:

Sign	What It Means
Eggs in cells	The queen is laying. One egg per cell, standing at the bottom. This is the single most important sign.
New white comb	Workers are building comb on the foundation or frames. Good sign of colony activity.
Sugar syrup being consumed	The feeder level should have dropped noticeably.
Pollen coming in	Watch the entrance for bees with full pollen baskets on their hind legs.
Calm disposition	Bees should be relatively calm on the frames, not running or buzzing loudly.

✅ Do: Use your CosmoBee app to log this first inspection. Record what you saw — eggs present, comb drawn, syrup consumed, queen status. This baseline becomes invaluable as the colony grows.

Feeding Schedule for the First Week

Feed 1:1 sugar syrup (by weight: 1 pound sugar to 1 pound water, or roughly 2 cups sugar to 2 cups water) continuously for the first week. A new package needs to draw comb, and comb production requires enormous energy — approximately 7 pounds of honey (or syrup) to produce 1 pound of wax. Check the feeder every 2 to 3 days and refill as needed. A typical package consumes 1 to 2 quarts of syrup per week during the initial build-up.

Common Problems

Even with perfect preparation, things can go sideways. Here are the issues beginners encounter most often and how to handle them.

Bees Clustering on the Outside of the Hive

If you see a large cluster of bees hanging on the front of the hive or underneath the bottom board, it can look alarming. There are two possible explanations:

Bearding — In hot weather (above 85°F), bees cluster outside to help with hive ventilation. This is normal and healthy. The bees will go back inside when temperatures drop. Ensure the hive has adequate ventilation (prop the outer cover up slightly with a small stick or stone).
Absconding — Rare with packages, but if the entire colony is leaving, you will see a tornado-like stream of bees flying away from the hive. If they are just clustering calmly on the front, it is bearding, not absconding.

Queen Not Accepted

If the workers have killed or rejected the queen, you will find no eggs or brood by day 7 to 10, and the colony may sound louder and more agitated than normal. Order a replacement queen immediately. A queenless package will decline rapidly because workers have a limited lifespan (4 to 6 weeks) and no new bees are being raised to replace them.

Package Arrived with Dead Bees

It is normal to find 1/2 inch to 1 inch of dead bees at the bottom of the package — these are the oldest workers that died during transit. However, if more than 2 inches of dead bees accumulate at the bottom, or if the remaining bees appear sluggish and lethargic, the package may have overheated. Contact your supplier. Most guarantee live delivery and will replace a badly damaged package.

Bees Flying Aggressively

During installation, some bees will bump into you, circle your head, or even sting. This is defensive behavior, not aggression — they are protecting their queen and their new home. If bees become very aggressive during installation:

Walk away slowly to a distance of 20 to 30 feet. Do not run or swat.
Wait 10 to 15 minutes for the alarm pheromone to dissipate.
Approach again calmly. Use more sugar-water spray to keep them settled.
If you received a sting, scrape the stinger out immediately with your hive tool or fingernail (do not pinch it, which injects more venom).

Feeding Your New Colony

Feeding is not optional for a new package. Without drawn comb and stored food, your colony depends entirely on you for the first few weeks.

How Much and How Long

Timeline	Feeding Recommendation
Weeks 1--4	1:1 syrup continuously. Refill every 2 to 3 days. Expect 1 to 2 quarts per week.
Weeks 5--8	Continue 1:1 syrup unless natural nectar is abundant. Reduce to topping off weekly.
After 8 weeks	Stop feeding when the colony has drawn 6 to 8 frames of comb and a reliable nectar flow is underway.

Syrup Recipe

Mix white granulated sugar with warm water at a 1:1 ratio by weight (equal parts sugar and water). For convenience: 4 cups of white sugar to 4 cups of warm water. Stir until fully dissolved. Do not use brown sugar, raw sugar, honey (risk of spreading American Foulbrood spores), or any artificial sweeteners. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before feeding.

❌ Never feed honey from unknown sources to your bees. Honey can contain spores of American Foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae), one of the most destructive honey bee diseases. Only feed your own honey back to your own bees, and even then, syrup is safer.

When to Switch to Natural Forage

Stop feeding when you observe:

Bees bringing in significant pollen (full pollen baskets visible on returning foragers)
Nectar available in your area (check local bloom charts or ask your beekeeping club)
6 to 8 frames of drawn comb in the brood box
Colony population visibly increasing (more bees on the frames during inspections)

In most regions of the United States, a package installed in mid-April will need feeding through mid-May to early June, at which point spring nectar flows provide sufficient forage.

Quick Reference: Installation Checklist

References

Delaplane, K.S. & Harman, A. First Lessons in Beekeeping. 7th ed. Wicwas Press, 2021.
Flottum, K. The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden. 4th ed. Quarry Books, 2018.
Morse, R.A. & Flottum, K. The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture. 42nd ed. Root Publishing, 2007.
Sammataro, D. & Avitabile, A. The Beekeeper's Handbook. 5th ed. Comstock Publishing, 2021.
University of Georgia Extension. "Installing a Package of Bees." UGA Honey Bee Program, 2023. bees.uga.edu
Penn State Extension. "Starting Your First Bee Hive." Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 2024. extension.psu.edu
Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAAREC). "Beekeeping Basics." MAAREC Publication, 2022.

Installing a Package of Bees: Step by Step

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