My personal take from that experience, and my take alone, was that (1) yes, within reason, I could feed ugly, old honey, in combs, to package bees. Could I write that sometimes big colonies can lead to big disappointments? I am not suggesting anything about your situation. From my perspective, in my apiary, at this time in my life, I could not say that these oversized colonies succeeded any better than a typical two-deep colony.
![how long to leave the swarm queen caged how long to leave the swarm queen caged](https://wildflowermeadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/JZBZ-Queen-Cage-640x321.jpg)
I worried and I wondered if I would have any survivors. My beautiful colonies experienced the typical Winter colony die-off. It was nothing exceptional, but it was a typical Winter dearth. I worried, but honestly, what beautiful challenges those beehives were. I worried that these big bee boxes would disconcert my neighbors. I worried about swarms departing from these mutants. I stopped worrying about old honey and shifted to worrying about managing large colonies. When I worked them, bees matted and festooned everywhere. I never saw the queen, but thankfully I had little reason to search for her. The packages grew into behemoth colonies. I wrote about the success of those packages building up on that old, dark honey. I had a goodly amount of sullied honey that I did not feel was fit for my consumption, but I wondered if the bees might want it. But last season my worry was whether or not I could/should feed old honey from my Winter dead-outs back to my packages. I hope you don’t recall this memory, but exactly this time last season, I was worrying about my packages – just exactly as I am now. But writing that statement does not mean that I am not concerned about the future of these packages that are back there right now – in freezing rain. So, when I do something right, it makes the decision-making event sweet and rewarding.
![how long to leave the swarm queen caged how long to leave the swarm queen caged](https://carolinahoneybees.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/removing-queen-cage-from-hive.jpg)
If this was an easy process – if we won every time – everyone would be beekeepers. In oh-so-many ways, worrying puts a value on the decisions I make in my beekeeping enterprise. All those years ago, if I was sold a bill-of-goods, it was because I wanted to make the purchase. My beekeeping appreciation is not diminished: Without even more regard to income, expense, or labor, I will then give my honey to deserving individuals, who will say, “Oh…you’re a beekeeper!?” I will humbly drop my head and reply, “Yes, I am a beekeeping practitioner of this noble craft.” Nowhere in my idyllic story did I mention expensive bee packages with confined queens on minimal honey stores in bee boxes that are sitting out in freezing rain. In carefree fashion, I will extract this crop – without regard to messiness and stickiness – and bottle it in attractive containers. I should envision blue skies, gentle bees – with absolutely no inclination to swarm – flying contentedly to rewarding floral sources from which they will gather nectar to make delectable honey crops. Practicing the craft is “relaxing” and “rewarding”. Oh, so often, beekeepers are sold a bill-of-goods in beekeeping. Erratic Spring weather is typically worrying weather.
![how long to leave the swarm queen caged how long to leave the swarm queen caged](https://www.bbwear.co.uk/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/8ecb199f6ce389cfede9a6a569f3326d/c/e/cell-punch.jpg)
The bees are out, but I still have the queens confined. I have packages and queens partially installed. It’s cold enough that frozen slush is accumulating on my truck windshield above the windshield wipers. At this very moment, a cold rain is falling. Until then, if you’re a bee forager, there’s not much to be done just now. If the weather breaks, my bees will try to stay busy with some residual meager blooms and maybe rob their neighbors’ resources a bit.
![how long to leave the swarm queen caged how long to leave the swarm queen caged](http://www.outyard.net/uploads/2/5/5/8/25581043/6497928_orig.jpg)
They are awaiting the next phase of the annual nectar/pollen flow that will come in a few days from sources like tulip poplar and clover. This season’s fruit bloom has come and gone.