# OK to use queen cages for brood break?



## phyber (Apr 14, 2015)

I'm thinking ahead for this fall and planning a brood break. I did most all my splits late in the summer, thus causing a brood break, and had (what I feel) is good success overwintering by only losing 1 out of 6 hives, while neighbors lost ~75%.

I learned my lesson in that an early queen is likely a better overall queen, and I have already made my splits up for this year and hope they keep growing. This fall, I would like to cage the current queens for a week so there is a break that could fend off mite numbers in winter.

I have seen using a push in cage, but my bees decided to "errode" the surrounding wax away from the screen in an effort to free the queen; this caused it to lose it's protection and the queen got out. I have also see "queen introduction frames", but at ~$10/each, that's pricey.

Could I use a california queen cage or something similar for a week to contain my mated queens while planning for this break?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

phyber said:


> I would like to cage the current queens for a week so there is a break that could fend off mite numbers in winter.


Better check your math.


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## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Brood break should be no less than 20 days just so you know.


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## Black and Amber (Jun 2, 2003)

This 25 day system is widely in Europe. The purpose made cage is a permament feature in every hive. You must decide when is the best time to treat, too early will affect build up, too late will reduce the winter bee population.
http://www.apimobru.com/?lang=en

Full info. Here
http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiVk5Gz37_MAhVEI8AKHa6UCUQQFggiMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coloss.org%2Ftaskforces%2Fvarroacontrol%2Fprotocols-brood-interruption-varroa-task-coloss-2016-jan-final&usg=AFQjCNGKSQSn3kYALmewM23HdiJ3JTwl0Q


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## asd (Jun 10, 2015)

I will use brood break to treat with OA and exchange some queens with QC's. No caging necessary.


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## phyber (Apr 14, 2015)

asd said:


> I will use brood break to treat with OA and exchange some queens with QC's. No caging necessary.


I'm assuming you are talking about capped qc's, if that's the case then isn't it a week until she emerges and another week until she starts laying? Isn't that to short for a 20 day period?


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## phyber (Apr 14, 2015)

Michael Palmer said:


> Better check your math.





Slow Drone said:


> Brood break should be no less than 20 days just so you know.


d'oh! don't know why I typed that... i know a week would still leave open larvae in the hive


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The easiest way to do a brood break is to take the queen, a frame of brood and a frame of honey and put them in a nuc. Come back in a month and see if they have a new laying queen. If so, leave them alone and let the nuc grow into whatever it grows into. If not, reintroduce the queen. The right time to do this with the best results as far as honey production is 2 weeks before the flow.


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## phyber (Apr 14, 2015)

Michael Bush said:


> The easiest way to do a brood break is to take the queen, a frame of brood and a frame of honey and put them in a nuc. Come back in a month and see if they have a new laying queen. If so, leave them alone and let the nuc grow into whatever it grows into. If not, reintroduce the queen. The right time to do this with the best results as far as honey production is 2 weeks before the flow.


I appreciate your help! The flow is starting/on here already, so I've missed that window, but I was hoping to be able to allow brood breaks for multiple hives at once (cheaply), as I am drained on woodenware equipment...no nucs to spare. I was hoping to break perhaps 3-4 at a time, then take whatever queen cage device and move to the other 3 or 4 hives for their break.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

phyber said:


> Could I use a california queen cage or something similar for a week to contain my mated queens


Yes.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You haven't missed it by much... now would still be better than later. They will probably raise a well fed queen right now.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

phyber said:


> I'm assuming you are talking about capped qc's, if that's the case then isn't it a week until she emerges and another week until she starts laying? Isn't that to short for a 20 day period?


Add another 3 days for the egg and 5 for the larva treat with OA before they are capped.


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