Cages for queen cells?

[David LaFerney]

In some videos I've seen where capped queen cells were put into individual cages so that they wouldn't kill each other when they emerged. 

I've been thinking about how to make some of these, but I figure that instead of reinventing the wheel I would ask first if someone has a tried and true design, or at least minimum dimensions or tips on how to secure loose cells (like natural swarm cells) into them.  Otherwise I will probably come up with something that is bigger and more complicated than it needs to be. 

I'm not just talking about cages, but rather cages that are made to be put back into a cell finisher of some kind several at a time.  Preferably that could be used for either "artificially" produced (grafted) or natural cells cut from comb.

Thanks.

[Michael Bush]

People who make their own usually make a tube out of #8 hardware cloth and put a cork in one end.  One could make them out of #5 and therefore let nurse bees in but not let the queen out...  personally I've used many variations of this and they are really only useful in hot weather (when the queens often emerge early) or when you can't get to them for a couple of days because of other things in life getting in the way...

You can, of course, buy them to fit many different queen rearing systems.  I use the ones made for the Jenter on the JZBZ cups with a bottom bar and some rubber bands to hold them up against the top bar.  I use the ones made for the Nicot on my Jenter as they have more room in them.  I always put a dab of crystallized honey in the recesses of the bottom plug for the queen to eat when she emerges.

[David LaFerney]

"they are really only useful in hot weather (when the queens often emerge early) or when you can't get to them for a couple of days because of other things in life getting in the way..."

And maybe when you haven't done it before and don't really know exactly what you are doing yet?

What size of cork would for sure be big enough, and how long do the cages need to be to accommodate the cell and the emerged queen? 

[Michael Bush]

I prefer the plan of not having them emerge into the cages at all.  So you should plan to introduce them ASAP. Any size that will fill the end of a cage built to fit your queen cups.