This is a first for me......

[beekeeperookie]

Hey guys need some advice on what to do next.  Scratching my head, I checked the forums and didn’t find anything similar to what my problem is

Yesterday, I hive a package of bees, when I ordered these bees they were supposed to be carnolians and be marked and clipped.  Well when I went to pick them up from the supplier I used they said that they didn’t have the carns and just these Italians, so after being at this place waiting over an hour plus taking an hour to drive up there, I told them know problem.  So I took two packages home and hive one next day then the last one yesterday.  We had two days of rain so that why the gap in installing packages.  The one I installed yesterday the queen cage didn’t have any candy just a loose cork, so I push in the cork so the queen could get out as soon as I did that she started flying well she was gone I losted her in the flying bees.  So I continued to install the girls by dumping them in the hive and putting the package in front of the hive to let the rest get in.  This morning went out there and they are back in the package again???  They don’t want to leave this package I am not sure if I have a queen or not, she is just as small as the rest of the girls and of course she not marked.  What does anyone recommend? :'(

[BMAC]

The queen is visible.  She is slightly larger. 

I would try spraying a light coat of sugar syrup on them and shake them back into the hive body.  It is possible that the queen landed on the package and crwaled inside.  If the workers have accepted her and sense her pheromone in the package then they will all go back to where the queen in at. 

Just bee careful not to squish any bees when you shake them back out like that.  Next time you remove the cork like that, stuff a small piece of marshmellow into the hole and place the queen cage back in the colony so the workers will still release her while she is IN the box. 

Sometimes when released by hand (as you saw first hand) they fly.