Queen cage (ZANDER) with hatch - plastic

Queen Rearing Cage with Excluder – Safe and Controlled Queen Bee Rearing

Every queen breeder knows that the days just before and shortly after emergence determine the queen's condition and subsequent performance. The queen rearing cage with excluder is a proven tool for safe "nursery keeping" of queen cells and freshly emerged queens. It protects the queen cell from damage and from competition with other queens, while the excluder allows unrestricted contact with nurse bees. This gives you control over emergence while the queen doesn't suffer from unnecessary isolation.

Well-designed Construction that Respects Bee Needs

The cage is designed to correspond as closely as possible to natural hive activity. The back side is closed with a fixed excluder screen, the front side features a hinged screen attached with rivets. The excluder is key: worker bees can freely enter the cage, intensively care for the queen cell, and after emergence, feed the queen and keep her warm. However, the queen cannot leave the cage without your intervention, allowing you to precisely time further work (marking, introduction, placement in mating nucleus, etc.).

Use in Hive and in Artificial Incubator

The cage is universal and easily fits into various rearing methods. It includes a queen cell plug that you simply attach with wax (made looser for comfortable handling). The tool can also be used in artificial incubators. For this rearing method, a minor modification commonly proves useful: drill a 2 mm diameter hole in the bottom corner for inserting a cup with a drop of honey. This amount of food usually lasts the queen up to three days before you use her in a mating nucleus or breeding colony. Alternatively, the bottom can be fitted with a low queen cell cup.

Easy Cleaning and Emphasis on Hygiene

Hygiene is essential in beekeeping, especially when working with queen cells and queens. Thanks to quality plastic construction, maintenance is quick and simple. The cage can be safely washed in warm water with detergent or treated with soda solution according to your practices. Regular cleaning reduces the risk of infection transfer between batches and extends the tool's lifespan for multiple seasons.

Technical Specifications