Push-in cage for queen introduction

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When I tried this type of cage, the bees dug underneath the edges, got into the cage and dispatched the queen.
 
Helen said:
When I tried this type of cage, the bees dug underneath the edges, got into the cage and dispatched the queen.
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What ever are the experiences, push in cage is splended.

If bees hate the new Queen, it is not cage's fault. There are times when queen introduction is difficult. There are cases, like yeasterday, that bees attack on a new queen like storm, and then they do not mind when I give to them another queen.

When bees make a bunch of biting bees against the mesh, it is better to take off the Queen.

Cage is not a magic tool, however it protects the queen during that time scent of hive and the queen will be same.
 
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When I lifted the frame out the cage fell off so it took a couple of seconds to focus on the comb in which time the queen might have run off. No, no eggs there. Yesterday I didn't go through the brood box to check that the queen bears a yellow mark - so you could be right.
I plan to examine again after the w/e.
One good thing: I was requeening a ferocious colony, yesterday they were quiet!
 
Michael Palmer said:
Hmmm...Are you sure that the queen is the one you placed under the cage? I leave her under for 4 days. Even then, some colonies start emergency cells. A week on? The cells would be sealed and some colonies will reject the new queen. There were no eggs in cells under they cage? Did she escape the cage? Did the bees release her? There should have been eggs under the cage and when you pulled the cage, you should have seen her. Then no new brood for too long to be your queen.
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Good news, and a narrow escape from smirks from forumites :blush5:: the queen is marked! :winner1st::sunning:
 
Helen said:
When I tried this type of cage, the bees dug underneath the edges, got into the cage and dispatched the queen.
Click to expand...

This is my experience with push in cages some of the time,but as finman said they are not a magic tool.i make my own out of varroa mesh as the shop bought white plastic ones i feel dont dig in deep enough into the wax and the bee's seem able to burrow underneath.All this said i feel puch in cages are still the best way for me for queen introduction.
 
I would now only use a push in cage when introducing a new queen. Take note that I had a colony that killed a queen from a newspaper unite, then killed a queen from a transport cage which was in for 4 days and then killed the queen from my push in cage when I released her from the cage 1 week later. Before each introduction a test frame produced queen cells which I always removed.
They have now raised queen cells from the brood laid by the last queen in the push in cage- I'm leaving them to it.
 
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I just put the Queen under push in cage, because I added bees to the colony.

The box had some extracted frames too, that fresh honey mix bees' head.

So, I introduced new bees.
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Eyeman said:
I would now only use a push in cage when introducing a new queen.
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99.9% of the introductions I do are without using any type of cage at all, just straight forward direct introduction, find it to be the best method of all.
 
Hivemaker. said:
99.9% of the introductions I do are without using any type of cage at all, just straight forward direct introduction, find it to be the best method of all.
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Big difference between introducing new queens from the same stock and trying to get them to accept an outsider.
 
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That Hivemaker's "method" is my favorit too, but first I want to be certain, does bees accept the queen. But why don't I can make sure that the queen will stay alive in introduction.

If bees show strong interest on the cage, the queen is in danger.

But there is a period in August, when yield is over, bees will kill 99% of intoduced queens. Even push in cage will not protect queens. So I change last queens during winter feeding. Queens lay winter bees then, and I do not want to disturb last layings.

I have now a 2 frame nuc, which do not accept any queen. So I am afraid to join those bees to any other nuc.

I have 10 ways in my pocket, how to introduce the queen. Even self reared queens are very expencive and I do not want to loose them. Introducing cage is very best however.
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Eyeman said:
Big difference between introducing new queens from the same stock and trying to get them to accept an outsider.
Click to expand...

Amen to that. Successfully introduced quite a few this year but stopping them superceding has been even more painful (and futile in some cases).

As Finski mentions, time of season important as well.
 
Hivemaker. said:
99.9% of the introductions I do are without using any type of cage at all, just straight forward direct introduction, find it to be the best method of all.
Click to expand...

So, when you introduce 1000 queens,
one (1) is kaput.
 
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Eyeman said:
He didn't say 99.9% were successful!
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I wouldn't introduce a queen I'd received through the post that way, but, if it's just a case of moving a laying queen from one hive to another within a couple of minutes, it works more often than not.
 
B+. said:
I wouldn't introduce a queen I'd received through the post that way, but, if it's just a case of moving a laying queen from one hive to another within a couple of minutes, it works more often than not.
Click to expand...

At least I do not move queens from hive to hive just like that. And I do not introduce queens either in posting cage.

I want to see, how bees react on the scent of new queen.

I am not in a hurry to put it into hive. The whole rearing process is really long compared to intoducing.
 
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