Double wooden queen introduction cage
Introduction Cages for Queen Bee Introduction - Double
Classic beekeeping double introduction cage. The wooden cage is designed for queens when applying the method of temporarily keeping the old queen in the colony. The standard double introduction cage is enriched with two circular holes that are covered with wire mesh. Both parts of the cage are separated by plastic film. From the side are introduction cages that are designed to house the queen, where the old colony queen is placed in one part of the cage and the second part is intended for the new queen. Usually the old queen bee is removed from the cage after one day and the film dividing the cage is removed. This creates more space for the queen bee, while the scent of the old queen remains in the cage. The new queen will thus be better accepted by the colony.
Queen replacement in the colony begins with removing the old queen, followed by adding the new queen. Worker bees of the colony where you want to introduce the new queen will initially try to kill the new queen because they will consider her a foreign bee. Acceptance of the new queen bee then depends on conditions in the colony. Younger bees accept the queen more readily than older bees. Smaller groups of bees also accept the queen better than larger groups. The colony will accept its queen better when she is the same age. The colony reluctantly accepts its queen during robbing periods, but readily accepts her during nectar flow. Beekeepers usually time queen replacement during nectar flow periods, i.e., in spring or autumn. However, workers will not accept a new queen if the old queen is present in the colony, so it is essential to first remove the old queen. If there are capped queen cells in the colony, you must examine them carefully when removing them, because a new queen could emerge from them. Introduction cages are therefore standard equipment when introducing queens. You can seal the holes in the cage with candy.
The cage with the queen is most often placed near the top bar of brood combs. However, you need to make sure that the bees have sufficient access to the queen, i.e., that they can move around the cage. The bees will eat the candy and release the queen from the cage. This process usually takes two to three days. During this time, the bees prepare to accept the new queen. Once the queen enters the colony, foreign scent emanates from the cage and the bees then react to the cage as they would react to a foreign queen. They begin to form a ball around the cage. This manifests as biting into the cage mesh and turning their abdomens toward the cage, as if they want to sting it. At first, the bees bite into the cage stubbornly, making it difficult to pull them away from the cage. Gradually, however, the ball dissolves.
Dimensions: 13 x 5 cm.
