# Emerging Queen Cages



## ryan (Apr 3, 2010)

Most extra cells are thrown away. Mainly because it is far worse to end up with too few cells. But if you can't help yourself, the wooden CA mini cages fit very well on the end of a cell.


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## cblakely (Sep 6, 2013)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz7DDG2wyaY

This guy shows you how to make a cell protector and a queen cage that may fit the need.

I made the push in queen intro cages this summer and worked very nicely.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

+1 on the CA mini cage.


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## Goldenman (Nov 6, 2013)

What I'm hearing is that jzbz protectors go directly into California cages... Is it recommended making those or buying them?


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I simply buy them from mann lake.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

I use both JZBZ cups and the mann Lake grid system. But I many times just graft into the brown cell grid cup and bypass the grid so I don't have to wait. Then I can use the most excellent roller cages.
But make your cell frames so you can turn them out or you'll never be able to slip the roller cage over the cell once it gets long.



















you'll never get a roller cage over these cells, not enough room










I really never use the roller cage in the hive, But remove the cells and let them emerge in the incubator. 










As you can see, the JZBZ cups will also sit well in the roller cages in this application. But they are loose,not snug fitting like the grid cups.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

Can someone explain how the Cali cages work to capture an emerging virgin. I'm guessing you drill the cork hole (that doesn't sound nice) out larger? How do you secure them to the bar?

I had some extra cells and I played around with wiring hair roller cages and homemade cages to bar for cells to emerge into. I think I had 8 cells and got 5 nice queens but it wasn't a practical solution.

Laura do you reuse the brown cell cups?
I'm not interested in the grid so what parts would I order?


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## Goldenman (Nov 6, 2013)

Interesting... Grafting into nicot cells. So you take them out 11 days after grafting and place in incubator until they hatch? I assume you don't add nurse bees...

I can see the bottom shelf is jzbz. Seems to work well in this application. The top shelf are nicot though right? So you just use the brown cell bar holder to block the bottom of hair rollers when cap breaks, is that snug too?


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Lauri - nice idea, just use a screw so the thing pivots. We would still be used stone wheels if coming up with a new idea was left to me.

Any special reason that you have foundation on the bottom instead of another row. Is that to pull in nurse bees or you just typically deal with smaller numbers of queens at one time.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Mbeck said:


> I'm guessing you drill the cork hole


No drilling required.








Without the queen cell, the JZBZ cell cups easily fit into the existing hole in the CA cages. With a queen cell, you can still get at least the tip, and often with gentle persuasion, the whole cell.








Here's a modified deep frame to hold the CA cages. The cross bar slides right or left to give access to the cages. With the cross bar in place the cages are very secure.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks I'll have to give a try.


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## Creekside (Dec 29, 2011)

I also graft into nicot cell cups. My grafting frame has two removable cell bars with 11 brown nicot fixtures on each. I leave enough space between the bars so that the hair roller cages will fit. I generally place hair rollers on as soon as the cells are capped and then place them in my incubator a day or two before emergence. I have also let the virgins hatch out in the cell finisher, but prefer to use my incubator. I personally like the hair roller cages. I also put a little bit of honey in the bottom of the hair roller cage, so the virgin queen has something to eat when she gets out. (Thanks Lauri for that idea!)


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

You are welcome. That honey in the groves of the bottom of the roller cage feeds that hungry queen immediatly after hatching, keeps it from getting all over her and will last for three days (With a daily drop or two of water) so you can 'bank' your queens inside if you mating nucs are not quite ready for them or the weather is bad.. I find holding the virgins in a queenless colony will get you some well tended and some ignored. The ignored virgins get very small, quickly in a 2 day time. Virgins held in the incubator for 3 days are all plump and strong. Strut right out onto a frame in the mating nucs with confidence instead of submissive behavior as I sometimes see with hour old queens & direct release. I've never had one fly away, but they are faster than a blury eyed hatchling.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Goldenman said:


> What I'm hearing is that jzbz protectors go directly into California cages... Is it recommended making those or buying them?


No, you're not hearing that JZsBZs protectors go into California mini cages... But that cells grown in JZsBZs cell cups will fit into the hole in the California mini cages. It is a tight fit, and the technique to insert cells without damaging them is just a matter of patience and a careful hand. Cells with a build-up of extra comb are easier to insert if some of the extra beeswax is removed, prior to insertion. Removing the cells from the cages, is another matter, and is best done after the queens have emerged, or after they have failed to emerge.

The trick is to configure a way to hold the cages in an upright orientation, in the brood area, until the queens emerge. I have designed and built frames, for myself, that serve the purpose for me. A frame, similar to what AstroBee has shown.

Though I have drawn up my own plans for California mini cage construction and have devised a method to safely produce them, I too purchase them more easily from Mann Lake, Ltd. They are too reasonably priced, for me to take the effort to make my own.


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