Shamrock Queen Cages are the same size as a 3 hole wooden cage and are used for caging and introducing queens. The cages are designed as follows:
- The cages consist of a candy compartment and an open ventilated compartment for the queen and attendants
- One large ventilated sliding door over the whole cage to allow adding the candy
- Slots in the ventilated compartment and door allow room for the colony bees to get acquainted with the queen in the cage
- Latching plastic door flap at the compartment end allows the bees and queen to be added to the cage
- End of the cage has another door that is opened to allow the bees in the colony to eat through the candy to release the queen
- Available in 10 packs with an attached hanger strap or without the strap
History of the Shamrock Queen Cage:
Back in early 2017 we were approached by a major queen and honey bee breeder with the question, “Why don’t you make a new, easy to use version of the standard wooden cage most people are familiar with?” Had this not been asked, I would never had given much thought to Building the Better Mousetrap”.
So after several missteps, mistakes, and at times misguided notions, the product is ready for the U.S. market.
Mike Gardner, of Gardners Apiaries/SpellBee, pushed to get the queen cage built to his specification – it was Mike who had planted the idea. The first 20 some thousand went to the local landfill. They worked, but they didn’t work to Mike’s satisfaction.
So after promising to show the world a new queen cage, and failing to produce, we now have the Shamrock Queen Cage, a Patent Pending unit that comes completely assembled, saves time & materials and makes for easy intro and release.
Imagine if you will, having 200,000+ wooden cages that are filled with paper, after which fondant is added, then a small screen carefully stapled in place, plus the balancing act of keeping up with two corks. And if they are to be used for packages the strap is cut and stapled in place. All that’s done before you add the queen.
With the Shamrock Queen Cage you still have to install the fondant. Then . . . well, you put in the bees.
If the cages are not to be used for packages, simply order them without a strap or just cut the standard strap with scissors.
History and Photos Source Bee Culture October 2018
