Getting Started · Spring 2026
How to Install a Package of Bees
Your 3-pound box of buzzing strangers is here. Take a breath. This is easier than it sounds — here's every step, in order, so nothing gets missed.
PACKAGE VS. NUC — QUICK CLARIFICATION
A package is ~10,000 loose bees + a caged queen in a screened box. The bees don't know this queen — she's a stranger to them. A nuc (nucleus colony) is 4–5 frames of drawn comb, brood, food, and a mated queen the bees already accept. This guide covers packages. If you bought a nuc, installation is simpler — just transfer the frames into your hive body in the same order they came.
Before Installation Day
Have ready before bees arrive:
✅ Hive assembled, painted, and in its permanent position — Don't move the hive after installation. Bees orient to the exact location. See hive kits →
✅ Feeder filled with 1:1 sugar syrup — Mix equal parts white sugar and warm water by weight. They'll need this immediately. See feeders →
✅ Spray bottle with 1:1 sugar syrup — You'll mist the bees to calm them during installation. See spray bottles →
✅ Protective gear — Suit/jacket, veil, gloves. Non-negotiable for your first install. See jackets →
✅ Hive tool — For prying the queen cage and can out of the package. See hive tools →
✅ Thumb tack or small nail — To hang the queen cage between frames.
✅ Marshmallow (yes, really) — To plug the queen cage candy end if it looks thin. More on this below.
Picking Up Your Package
Most packages are picked up from a local supplier or shipped. If driving, put the package in a ventilated area of your car — not the trunk (no airflow = dead bees). The back seat with windows cracked works. Keep the screened side up. Bees will be loud. That's normal. Drive calmly.
When you get home, set the package in a cool, shaded spot. If you can't install until evening, mist the screen with sugar syrup once or twice to keep them hydrated. Install the same day if at all possible — the longer they're caged, the more stressed they become.
Best time to install: Late afternoon or early evening (4–6 PM). The bees will settle in overnight and orient the next morning. Midday installations work too, but more bees fly around chaotically since they're active.
Installation: Step by Step
Prepare the Hive
Remove 4–5 frames from the center of the hive body to create a cavity where you'll pour the bees. Set them aside nearby — you'll put them back soon. Make sure your feeder is filled and ready.
Mist the Bees
Give the screened package 3–4 gentle mists of sugar syrup. This does two things: gives them a snack (calming) and makes their wings slightly sticky (less flying). Don't soak them — a light mist is plenty.
Remove the Syrup Can and Queen Cage
Give the package a firm bump on the ground to knock bees to the bottom. Pry the cover off. Pull out the syrup can (it feeds the bees during transport). Behind it or attached to it is the queen cage — a small wooden or plastic cage with a candy plug at one end. Remove the queen cage carefully. Do not open it. Examine the queen through the screen — she should be alive and moving. If she's dead, contact your supplier immediately for a replacement.
Hang the Queen Cage
Remove the cork or cap from the candy end only (the end with the white sugar plug — not the screen end). If the candy plug looks thin or crumbly, push a mini marshmallow into the opening as a backup — this gives the bees an extra day to chew through and accept the queen. Use a thumb tack or small nail through the metal tab to hang the cage between two center frames, screen side facing down, so dead attendant bees (there are a few in the cage) don't block the queen's exit.
Pour the Bees
This is the moment that scares every beginner. Bump the package firmly on the ground to knock bees to the bottom, then turn it upside down and shake/pour the bees into the cavity you created by removing frames. Shake with confidence — tentative shaking leaves bees in the box. It's loud, it's dramatic, and it's totally fine. The bees are disoriented and full of sugar — they're not aggressive. Pour until most are out, then set the open package on the ground in front of the hive entrance. Stragglers will walk in on their own.
Replace Frames and Close Up
Gently slide the removed frames back into position, being careful not to crush bees. They'll move out of the way — go slowly. Put the inner cover on, then the outer cover. Install your feeder. Reduce the entrance to the smallest opening — this small colony can't defend a full entrance yet and robber bees from nearby colonies may try to steal their syrup. See entrance reducers →
After Installation: The First Week
DAY 1–3: LEAVE THEM ALONE
Don't open the hive. Just watch from outside. Bees will be disoriented and may cluster on the front of the hive — that's normal. Keep the feeder full. They'll consume an astonishing amount of syrup as they start drawing comb.
DAY 3–5: CHECK QUEEN RELEASE
Quick, 2-minute inspection. Is the queen cage empty? If yes, remove the cage and gently push the frames together. If she's still inside, check the candy plug — if bees are working on it, give them another day or two. If no progress after 5 days, you may need to directly release her (carefully remove the screen — do this over the open hive so if she flies, she lands inside).
DAY 7–10: FIRST REAL INSPECTION
Look for eggs. If the queen has been released and is healthy, she should be laying by now. Tiny white grains standing up in cells = success. Also check that they're drawing comb on the foundation — the syrup fuels this. Keep feeding until they stop taking it (usually when the first nectar flow starts).
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Opening the queen cage directly. The bees in the package haven't accepted this queen yet — she's a stranger. The candy plug exists to give them 2–3 days of indirect exposure (through the screen) before she's released. Direct release risks the bees balling and killing her.
Not feeding enough. A package has no comb, no food stores, and no foragers that know the area. They are 100% dependent on your feeder for the first 2–3 weeks. A package can consume a quart of syrup per day during active comb-building. If the feeder runs dry, comb production stops.
Inspecting too soon or too often. Every inspection disrupts the colony. For the first 10 days, the only reason to open the hive is to check queen release on day 3–5. After that, inspect once a week maximum until the colony is established (6+ frames of drawn comb).
Not reducing the entrance. A package colony is tiny — 10,000 bees instead of the 40,000–60,000 in a full-strength hive. They can't guard a full entrance. Robbing from nearby colonies or yellow jackets can wipe out a package colony in a single afternoon.
📦 Package Installation Kit
Ready for your first inspection after install? See our spring inspection guide for exactly what to check and when.