# JZBZ queen cages



## Cuttingedgelandinc (Mar 3, 2015)

I was just looking at a thread here about the JZBZ queen cages. Someone stated that there is a newer version which allows the cell protectors to snap into the cages allowing virgins to hatch right into the cages. Does anyone have any experience with this? I have hundreds of JZBZ cages and I can’t figure it out. Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I think I have some of both the newer and older ones. I had to attach the cell protectors. Duct tape worked, but was a pain. I have better luck with hair curler cages, candy plugs and cell protectors:

https://www.mannlakeltd.com/hair-roller-cages-100-pack
https://www.mannlakeltd.com/top-bar-cell-protectors
https://www.mannlakeltd.com/candy-cup-closure-100-pack

Drop the cell in the protector. Drop that in the hair curler cage. Put the candy plug on top. Put the hair curler cage in the hive/mating nuc/incubator.


----------



## Broke-T (Jul 9, 2008)

I let them emerge in an incubator and just stick the end of the cell in the flip top opening. cage already filled with candy gives her something to eat. If I am shipping I add 4 attendants and ship. If using use right away.

Johnny


----------



## adamf (Jan 28, 2006)

Broke-T said:


> I let them emerge in an incubator and just stick the end of the cell in the flip top opening. cage already filled with candy gives her something to eat. If I am shipping I add 4 attendants and ship. If using use right away.
> 
> Johnny


We do the same thing: cells fit into opening in the JZBZ cage pretty much perfectly; sometimes you have to trim a little wax away if the cells are heavily waxed from the finishing colony. 

Each cage gets charged with 5 attendant bees. They are mixed in age from different colonies.

Cells are put into the charged cages the day before they are due to emerge.

When virgins have emerged, the empty cell is removed and the cage is closed. Cages are then marked with the ID of the queen mother with indelible ink pen. When we have 4 or more caged virgins, they're moved from the hatching incubator to a holding incubator running at a slightly lower temperature--this has keep the survival rate of the virgins higher.

You have to monitor hatching: if a virgin chews down the side of her cell, you'll lose her in the incubator. If more then one does this, it's incubator mayhem!
I check 'em every couple of hours. Getting up in the wee hours to check for hatched virgins is a sign that we're "in the groove". I tell myself that "I have to love this".


8 or more days later, virgins that have survived the trials and tribulations of their bank, are candidates for AI.

Adam
http://vpqueenbees.com


----------



## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

That would work well to avoid handling them. If you are producing a large volume of virgins, it would be a time saver for sure.

I like to mark mine before banking or installing so I use the roller cages for emerging into. I fill a couple of the bottom groves with honey and it works great. No worry's about rouge virgins, a good solid easy first few meals which are vitally important to the virgin.








Older photo shown above, but you see the groves I mention.
It shows honey and royal jelly in the groves here, but I didn't see any advantage of the jelly so I just use honey now. Residual Jelly is usually available in the old cell cup. I try to use honey that is slightly crystallized, but liquid of fine as long as you are careful about filling the groves & wipe off excess so the virgin won't get honey slimed.

I get a good look at them, mark then and hold in the JZBZ cage in a queenless bank until I can place or ship them.

















Roller cages take up more room in the incubator then JZBZ cages do. I just bought a second incubator which is nice to have. I can run one cooler if I want to and I don't always have my eggs on one basket during the main season when an incubator failure would be disastrous to my schedule. 
I've never had one fail me, but I know it's possible.









Look at this guy, (Photo off the Internet from over seas, Turkey I think)
Living on the edge here! One early emerged virgin would through a monkey wrench into this program in a hurry. Looks like they have a decent sized outfit here. 

I have a bunch of these photos saved from the internet for inspiration when I first started. It's interesting to look back on them and see how much they influenced the development of my own operation.


----------



## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Royal jelly dries out quickly when exposed to the air. I collected up some in 2016 and put into a small syringe for easy filling of those roller cage groves. I didn't use much of it and still have it in my fridge. Almost as white as it was when I collected it.









Here is residual jelly in the cell cup after emergence Still edible but dries out fast.


----------



## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

If you're looking for a roller-cage system - you could do a lot worse than check-out Ebay #282534651546 and #112752997827 - if these were any cheaper, they'd be giving 'em away. They're such a low price it might be worth modding your other kit to suit.
I bought a hundred of these a while back (can't remember which supplier off-hand) - they're fine. Not JZBZ of course. They'll accept Nicotplas brown cell cups ok, but the roller cages are not interchangeable with other Nicot kit.
LJ


----------

