Nicot or butler

[Eyeman]

These transport queen cages are sold as Nicot and Butler cages.
Any idea which name is correct?

 

[For want of a better word]

Butler invented them... Nicot is a brand name?

We use Benton cages... real wood ones!

 

[Eyeman]

Butler invented them... Nicot is a brand name?

We use Benton cages... real wood ones!

That makes sense.
Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

This is the original Butler cage, anything else is just a variation on it. Covered the open end with nespaper and elastic band to retain the queen.

 

[For want of a better word]

This is the original Butler cage, anything else is just a variation on it. Covered the open end with nespaper and elastic band to retain the queen.

https://www.thorne.co.uk/image/cache/data/products

/Q0027-228x228.jpg

Wow... that nespaper is very difficult to find these days.... do Thornes have the original in their museum of beekeeping paraphanalia?

I wonder if anyone has the original Snellgrove board in their possession?

I have an original Harries board for the WBC type hive... made by my Grandfather in Croydon sometime during the 1940s!

 

[Angry_Mob]

D Cushman has it listed as a plastic mailing cage made by nicot.
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/queencages.html

 

[Beefriendly]

D Cushman has it listed as a plastic mailing cage made by nicot.
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/queencages.html

They are all variations of the original wire one.

 

[masterBK]

The problem with the original wire mesh butler cages was that sometimes the workers bite the queens feet through the mesh. Queen feet are important for footprint pheromone. Cages should always have somewhere the queen can go when the workers in the colony show aggressive behaviour towards her. Modern plastic travel/intro cages like in Eyemans photo do the job well. By the way, why isn't the cage suspended between the frames from a cocktail stick (or matchstick!!!) through the hoop on the top?.

 

[Ian123]

Used to use my mums hair rollers...trim off a few of the plastic spikes and news paper and elastic bands over ends.........Honest they are my mums

 

[Eyeman]

The problem with the original wire mesh butler cages was that sometimes the workers bite the queens feet through the mesh. Queen feet are important for footprint pheromone. Cages should always have somewhere the queen can go when the workers in the colony show aggressive behaviour towards her. Modern plastic travel/intro cages like in Eyemans photo do the job well. By the way, why isn't the cage suspended between the frames from a cocktail stick (or matchstick!!!) through the hoop on the top?.

Easier for me to judge the behaviour of the works to the queen when the cage is on top of the frames. My crown boards are reversible with a 20mm shim on one side so the cage easily fits under the CB. I've suspended them between frames in the past.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

View attachment 16610

These transport queen cages are sold as Nicot and Butler cages.
Any idea which name is correct?

Nicot cage, Butler cages are wire, don't have the 'safe area' where the queen can hide from the workers, nor the sliding 'matchbox' type closure

 

[birdsandbees]

I've a bloody great bag full of these yellow cages, I bought them from China at a cost of a few pence each, I rarely use them for introductions but they are good for assessing the possible acceptance or not of the colony by placing the queen on top as you have done.