When Should I Install My Packages?

As exciting as it is to get your package bees installed, it may not always be best to install them as soon as you get them. On Monday morning, the bees will be removed from their mother hives down in Georgia.  By 1:00 PM they will be in transit to their new homes here in your apiaries.  They will travel through the night and will be ready for pickup less than 24 hours later.  

Allowing your bees to acclimate to their new queen's pheromones by waiting an extra day might not be a bad idea, especially if the weather is not ideal on the day you pick up your packages.

Spraying 1:1 sugar syrup twice per day on the screen will go a long way in keeping them nourished while in their packages.  (You can't always count on the syrup cans in the packages.) This extra time will help a lot with queen acceptance.

It looks like it will be pretty cold on Tuesday with a couple of warmer days on Wednesday and Thursday.  I suggest waiting a day before you install your bees both for pheromone acclimation and also for the higher temperatures.  So, instead of installing your bees on Tuesday, I would wait until Wednesday.