Nuc or package installation Tip #1: What if the queen is dead?

When purchasing a package, you can not see the queen until you are actually installing the bees into their hive box. So, check the queen inside the cage upon installation. If she is dead, you must install the bees into the hive, feed them and finish the installation in all other ways. Then call the supplier immediately and ask for another queen. If you have the dead queen in the cage, there should be no hesitation to replace her. Some suppliers also replace or discount the price of queens if they die within a certain number of days of purchase, but that is a question of policy that should probably be asked before purchase.