See 04/21/2026 Blog post for pickup days & times.

Other things to know …

The queens did not get marked. 
It was too cold to remove them to mark them.  Temps were in the 30s with a dusting of snow on the ground!!

We were not given candy tubes
The queen cages are closed with a cork that needs to be swapped for candy.
We are providing marshmallows.  And we suggest:
- Install the bees with the queen cage as is, with the cork in place.
- In a couple of days, go back, remove the cage, make the cork-to-candy swap, put the cage back for the need to release the queen.
Why?  We think the marshmallow will be cleared pretty quickly so giving a couple days where she cannot be released is prudent.  Also, releasing the queen after the bees have had a chance to settle in is less chaotic - for the bees and for the beekeeper.

Tips for making the cork / candy swap:
- Hold the cage over the open hive.  If the queen gets past you, there's a good chance she'll fall into the hive.  Even if she hasn't been with those bees as long as is ideal, she may be accepted.  She has been with them for a few days, and that may be enough (though we favor long introduction and release happening in a calm dark environment.)

- When actually doing the swap, do it in two steps, not one.

First, get everything ready and then ...

Step 1: Watch the queen.  She will likely be walking back & forth inside the cage.  When she turns AWAY from the cork, pull the cork out and cover the hole with a fingertip.

Step 2: Set the cork down and pick up the candy.  Watch the queen again and again do the swap when she turns away from the end with the hole (and your fingertip).