The day your package of bees arrives is the day you become a beekeeper. It is also the day most beginners are the most nervous, because shaking 10,000 buzzing insects out of a wooden crate and into a box feels like exactly the kind of thing that should go wrong. It rarely does. Package installation is simple, fast (15 to 20 minutes once you are set up), and the bees are almost always calm, since they have no brood, no stores, and no home to defend. The biggest risk is not the bees. It is being unprepared: hive not assembled, feeder not filled, smoker not lit, weather too cold.
This guide covers what is inside the package, what to do before you install, two installation methods compared (shake and set-down), step-by-step instructions for each, what to expect in the first week, and the mistakes that cost first-year beekeepers the most colonies.
What is inside a package of bees?
A standard 3-pound package contains roughly 10,000 to 12,000 worker bees, a separately caged mated queen they have never met, and a metal can of sugar syrup that feeds the bees during shipping. The whole thing arrives in a screened wooden crate about the size of a shoebox, with the syrup can plugged into the top and the queen cage hanging from a metal tab beside it. The bees cluster on the screen walls and around the syrup can. They look alarming but are among the gentlest bees you will ever handle, since they have nothing to protect. Understanding what you are actually getting when you buy a package versus a nuc helps set your expectations before the bees arrive.
What should you do before installation day?
Everything on this list should be done before you pick up or receive your bees. Scrambling to assemble a hive with a package of bees sitting in your car is a bad start.
Hive assembled and in position. One deep brood box with 8 or 10 frames of foundation (wired or plastic-coated), a bottom board, an inner cover, and an outer cover. Choosing the right spot with morning sun, wind shelter, and a slight forward tilt prevents problems later.
Feeder filled. A top feeder, frame feeder, or baggie feeder loaded with 1:1 sugar syrup (one part sugar to one part water by weight). A new package has zero stores and will starve without feeding. Low-cost feeding options that keep new colonies growing covers ratios, feeder types, and how long to keep feeding.
Entrance reducer in place. Set the entrance to the smallest opening. The tiny population of a new package cannot defend a full-width entrance against robbers or pests.
Smoker lit and tools ready. You may not need much smoke (package bees are calm), but having it ready prevents panic if they get agitated. A hive tool, a spray bottle of 1:1 sugar syrup, and a small nail or toothpick for the queen cage candy plug complete the kit.
When should you install?
Time of day. Late afternoon or early evening, roughly 2 to 3 hours before sunset. This gives the bees the whole night to settle in, cluster around the queen cage, and orient to the hive entrance before they start flying the next morning. Installing in the middle of a hot afternoon means more bees flying aimlessly and taking longer to settle.
Weather. Mild and calm, ideally above 10°C (50°F) with no rain. If the temperature is below 10°C, the bees cluster tightly and are harder to shake out, and the cold stresses them during the transition. If it is pouring rain, wait until conditions improve. You can hold a package for 1 to 2 days in a cool, dark, well-ventilated room (a garage or shed works) as long as you mist the screen lightly with sugar syrup every few hours.
Method one: the shake method (most common)
This is the standard technique taught by most extension services and bee clubs. It is fast, direct, and works well in warm weather.
Step one: suit up. Put on your protective gear before you touch the package. Package bees are gentle but not harmless, and you will have thousands of loose bees in the air for a few minutes. A good ventilated bee suit makes the whole process feel controlled rather than chaotic.
Step two: mist the package. Spray the screened sides of the package lightly with 1:1 sugar syrup. This gives the bees something to lick, settles them down, and makes them slightly heavier so they shake out of the crate more easily. Do not drench them.
Step three: remove 4 to 5 center frames. Pull frames from the center of the brood box to create a gap wide enough to pour bees into. Set them aside where they will not fall over.
Step four: remove the syrup can and queen cage. This is the step that feels rushed. Tap the package firmly on the ground to knock the bees to the bottom. Pry the wooden cover off the top of the crate, grip the metal tab of the syrup can, and pull it straight up. Immediately pull the queen cage out by its tab. The hole is now open and bees will start flying out, which is fine. Stay calm. Set the syrup can aside (the bees do not need it anymore).
Step five: check the queen. Look at the queen cage. Confirm she is alive and moving. Identify the candy plug end. Remove the cork covering the candy (but not the cork on the other end). Poke a small hole through the candy with a nail or toothpick to give the workers a head start on chewing through. How queen introduction and acceptance works covers the queen-specific details in depth.
Step six: hang the queen cage. Suspend the queen cage between two center frames, screen side facing down, candy end facing up. Most cages have a metal tab you can bend over the top bar. Make sure the cage is secure.
Step seven: shake the bees in. Hold the package upside down over the gap in the brood box and shake firmly. Most of the bees will pour out in a heavy clump. A few firm shakes clear the majority. Some bees will remain in the crate. That is normal. Set the near-empty crate on the ground in front of the hive entrance, and the remaining bees will walk in over the next hour.
Step eight: replace frames gently. Slide the removed frames back into position slowly, giving the bees time to move out of the way. Do not force frames down onto clusters of bees.
Step nine: add the feeder and close up. Place the filled feeder on the hive (top feeder on top, frame feeder inside). Put the inner cover and outer cover on. Walk away.
Method two: the set-down method (gentler, slower)
Some beekeepers prefer a less hands-on approach. Instead of shaking bees out, you set the open package inside the hive and let the bees walk out on their own.
Steps one through six are the same as the shake method: suit up, mist, remove center frames, pull the syrup can and queen cage, check the queen, and hang the cage between frames.
Step seven: set the package inside the hive. Instead of shaking, remove 5 frames from one side of the brood box, lean the open package (hole facing up) inside the hive cavity, and replace only the frames on the other side of the queen cage. The bees crawl out of the crate and onto the frames over the next few hours.
Step eight: close up and come back the next day. Put the covers on, leaving the package inside. The next afternoon, open the hive briefly, remove the empty crate, and gently replace the remaining frames.
The set-down method is slower (the crate stays in the hive overnight) and requires a second visit, but it is gentler and reduces the number of airborne bees during installation. It works especially well in cooler weather when bees are reluctant to fly.
What should you do in the first week?
Day 1 (installation day). After closing up, leave the bees alone. They will cluster around the queen cage and begin exploring the hive interior. Resist the urge to peek.
Day 3 to 5. Open the hive and check the queen cage. If the candy is chewed through and the cage is empty, the queen is out and (most likely) accepted. Look for her on the frames but do not pull every frame searching. If the cage is still sealed, check whether the bees around it are calm or aggressive. Calm means give her another day or two. Aggressive cage-biting means trouble. Remove the cage, close up, and contact your supplier.
Day 7 to 10. Do a brief inspection. Look for tiny white eggs standing upright in the bottom of cells. Eggs confirm the queen is alive, accepted, and laying. You do not need to find her, since eggs are the proof. If you see eggs, everything is on track. Refill the feeder if it is empty. Keeping up with routine inspections and knowing what to look for helps you build confidence fast.
Week 2 to 4. Continue feeding 1:1 syrup until the bees have drawn comb on at least 7 to 8 frames. Do not add a second brood box until this threshold is reached. Check for healthy brood pattern (solid, concentric laying pattern with few empty cells) and watch for any signs of disease. Understanding bee diseases and pests early helps you catch problems before they set the colony back.
What mistakes cost the most colonies?
Not feeding immediately. A new package has zero stores. Without syrup from day one, the bees cannot draw comb, the queen cannot lay, and the colony stalls. Have the feeder filled before the bees go in.
Opening the hive too early. Checking on day 1 or 2 disrupts the queen-acceptance process and increases rejection risk. Wait at least 3 full days.
Installing in cold or rainy weather. Below 10°C, the bees cluster and will not spread onto frames. Rain chills wet bees and stresses the colony. Wait for a mild evening.
Leaving the entrance wide open. A full-width entrance on a new package invites robbing from established colonies nearby. Use the smallest entrance-reducer setting for the first month.
Adding a second box too soon. A 3-pound package cannot patrol or heat two deep boxes. Adding the second box before 7 to 8 frames are drawn gives the colony more space than it can manage, which invites pests and slows buildup.
What gear makes installation day smoother?
You will have thousands of bees in the air for a few minutes, and you will be shaking a crate, handling a queen cage, and sliding frames back into position. At OZ Armour, we build gear for exactly this kind of close, hands-on work. Pairing a ventilated bee suit that breathes on warm spring days with beekeeping gloves nimble enough to grip a tiny queen cage and a beekeeping veil you can see clearly through while bees fly at your face takes the panic out of the moment. For lighter installations, a bee jacket that covers you without overheating and bee trousers sealed at the ankle do the job. Families installing bees together can suit up younger helpers in a kids' bee suit sized for small beekeepers. A smoker and hive tool round out the kit, and choosing the right bee breed for your climate before you order the package stacks the odds from the start.
Sources: Package bee contents (10,000-12,000 workers per 3-lb package) from Texas A&M Extension (ENTO-098, Molly Keck). Shake and set-down installation methods from Penn State Extension, NC State Extension (Apiculture Bee Pack Install), and University of Georgia bee lab. Queen cage candy-plug timing (2-5 days) from Betterbee and Purdue Extension (E-277). First-week inspection timeline consistent with Woodland Creek Honey Farm installation guide and standard apicultural references.