Bringing a colony home: the first seven days

Most first colonies are lost in the first month, and almost always because the keeper did too much rather than too little.

Day 1: place it and step back

Set the box on the stand you prepared, the right way up, entrance unobstructed. Remove the travel plug if there is one. Then walk away. Do not open the lid, however much you want to.

Days 2 to 7: watch only

Spend a few minutes each day watching the entrance from two metres away. Note whether bees are coming and going, and whether any return with pollen on their legs. Bees circling in front of the entrance for the first few days is normal — they are recording landmarks for the way home.

Never in the first week

• Open the lid.
• Move the box, even by a few centimetres.
• Stand directly in front of the entrance.
• Spray anything near the hive.

The one job to do daily

Check the water cups under the four legs of the stand. In dry weather they evaporate fast, and one empty cup is enough to let ants in. It takes five seconds and saves more colonies than any technique.

Signs it is settling well after a week

Steady entrance traffic, bees returning with pollen, no dead bees around the stand, no ants. All four together mean the colony is establishing.

Signs that need action now

Bees clustering outside the entrance around midday means the box is overheating — add shade immediately. An ant trail on a stand leg means redo the ant defence the same day. Neither problem requires opening the box.

After the first week

Still do not open it. The first inspection should come after at least a month, and only to see whether the nest is expanding. After that, every few months is enough.

Frequently asked

How do I know it is alive if I never open it?

The entrance tells you. Steady traffic with pollen coming in means the colony is raising brood.

Fewer bees than when I bought it — is that a loss?

Some foragers get lost in the first days while learning the new site. Normal, as long as traffic stays steady.

Should I feed it in the first week?

Only if it is the dry season and there is almost nothing flowering nearby. Then place light sugar water outside the box, never inside.