Thanks folks
The queen cages had a cork wedged in there, and it was NOT easy to get out
and the whole time I'm prying in the opening with the screw, the queen was trying to escape!! I was really scared that I might accidentally kill her with the screw! and equally scared that she'd escape between the cork coming out and the marshmallow getting crammed in! I was more nervous about that than having hundreds/thousands of bees flying around my head
They were both still actively trying to escape when I placed the cages between the frames.
I expect to find the cages empty when I check on them later this week.
There ARE termites here in Colorado, despite what the "natives" say to the contrary...
There's this old rotted dog house that was here when I bought the place and when I turned it over to start dismantling it, there were, yup, you guessed it... termites! Not a lot and not a major infestation, but they were there. They're not as bad here as other places because of the altitude & cold(er) winters... although that hasn't stopped them from being up north like the great lakes areas and New England
Also, my soil here is almost pure sand... termites don't do well in sand.
The wood you see there (except the hives) are all treated landscape timbers... I remember as a kid my dad coating wood coming in contact with the ground with creosote. I don't think the termites particularly like them... At least not until they've been weathered and bleached out over many years. And at that, I think they rot and fall apart before the termites get to them.
Have to go back and check the course material... coulda sworn they said use the 2:1 until the first strong nectar flow to help them build comb fast... Of course I DON'T want them storing that as honey! Really, with all the dandelions around here, they probably don't need feeding anyway. But I figure I'll give them one round and see if they take it. Hopefully I'll have some pics up by Sunday evening 
so put on the veil... no stings and no issues! 
I had to dump 1/2 the bees into the hive to get the queen cage out and re-grab it. But both queens were very healthy and active! There were no attendants in with her, but they were all over the cage, making it even more difficult to replace the cork with a marshmallow!
Around here, wood touching the ground for a week, and the termites have found it.
What is it but wood pulp after all! And if you didn't know, they will also tunnel vertically through sheetrock/wallboard. They poke little pin hole breathing holes through the paper as they move upwards. 
