5 Best Queen Bee Holding Cages For Under 500 That Ensure Queen Acceptance

You’ve just split a hive or lost a queen, and the new one has arrived in a tiny cage in the mail. The success of your entire colony now hinges on how you handle this crucial introduction over the next few days. Getting it right means a booming hive; getting it wrong means a dead queen and a doomed colony.

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Why Slow Queen Introduction Is Key to Success

A beehive is a complex society governed by scent. The queen’s unique pheromones act as the hive’s identity, telling every bee they belong to the same family. Dropping a new queen with a foreign scent directly into the colony is a recipe for disaster. The workers will immediately see her as an invader and "ball" her, surrounding and killing her.

A slow introduction using a cage solves this problem. It protects the new queen while allowing her scent to gradually permeate the hive through the screen. Over several days, the workers become accustomed to her pheromones. They begin to see her as their own, feeding her through the mesh and accepting her presence.

This process gives the colony time to adjust. The old queen’s scent fades, and the new queen’s scent becomes the dominant signal. By the time the workers chew through the candy plug to release her, they are ready to accept her as their new leader. This transition period is non-negotiable for success.

The Benton Three-Hole Wooden Cage: A Standard

If you’ve ever ordered a queen, you’ve likely seen the Benton cage. It’s a small wooden block with three holes drilled in it, one for the queen and her attendants, and two for candy. A simple screen covers one side. This design has been the industry standard for decades for a reason: it works.

The Benton cage is cheap, effective, and familiar to bees. The wood absorbs some of the queen’s pheromones, helping to distribute her scent. Its solid construction offers good protection, and the two candy chambers provide a reliable, multi-day release timer. Most queen producers ship in these, so you often don’t even have to buy them separately.

The main drawback is that they are essentially single-use. Wood is porous and can potentially harbor diseases if you try to reuse it between different hives. For the low cost, it’s best to consider them disposable and start fresh with each new queen.

Jz Bz Plastic Cages: A Reusable Modern Option

For beekeepers who prefer a reusable option, plastic cages like those from JZ BZ are a fantastic choice. These cages come in various styles, but the most common for introduction is a simple box or tube design with a built-in candy chamber and plenty of ventilation slots. They are durable, easy to clean, and can be used season after season.

The smooth plastic surface makes them simple to sanitize between uses, reducing any risk of disease transfer. Some models have features like break-away tabs or multiple gate options, giving you more control over the release. Because you can buy them in bulk and reuse them, they are incredibly economical over the long term.

The tradeoff is that plastic doesn’t absorb pheromones the way wood does. This isn’t a major issue, but it’s a difference to be aware of. The key is ensuring the cage has ample screen or ventilation for the bees to make contact and share scents.

California Mini Cage for Maximum Pheromone Flow

The California Mini Cage is a small, flat cage that is mostly screen. Its primary design feature is maximizing the surface area through which the queen and the hive’s workers can interact. This promotes a rapid exchange of scents and food, which can speed up the acceptance process.

These cages are excellent for situations where you want a quick introduction. Their slim profile makes them easy to slide between frames without creating a large gap. Because the queen is so exposed (safely, behind the screen), the workers can tend to her from all sides, accelerating the social bonding.

However, their small size means they hold less candy, potentially leading to a faster release than you might want. They also offer less physical protection and insulation than a solid wood or plastic cage. You have to weigh the benefit of faster scent exchange against the need for a longer, more controlled release period.

The Push-In Cage for Direct On-Comb Release

A push-in cage offers a completely different approach to introduction. Instead of hanging a cage between frames, you use a larger, open-bottomed cage to isolate the queen directly on a frame of emerging brood. You find a patch of comb with capped brood about to hatch, press the cage firmly into the wax, and place the queen inside.

The logic here is brilliant. As new bees hatch, their first encounter is with the new queen. These young "naive" bees have no memory of the old queen and accept the new one instantly, forming her initial retinue. This loyal court then helps spread her pheromones and vouch for her acceptance throughout the rest of the hive.

This method can be highly effective, especially for difficult introductions into aggressive or long-queenless colonies. The main consideration is that you must damage a small section of comb to press the cage in. It also requires a bit more confidence and hive manipulation than simply hanging a small cage.

Nicot System Cages for Rearing and Introduction

For the hobbyist who is also interested in raising their own queens, the Nicot system is a worthwhile investment. While it’s a comprehensive queen-rearing system, its individual components, like the roller and introduction cages, are excellent tools on their own. These plastic cages are designed to be modular and reusable.

The roller cages are perfect for holding virgin queens or protecting queen cells until they hatch. The larger introduction cages function similarly to other plastic cages but are designed to fit perfectly within the Nicot system frames. Using these cages means you have a consistent, integrated set of tools for every stage of a queen’s life, from cell to laying.

Even if you aren’t rearing your own queens, buying a pack of Nicot introduction cages is a solid choice. They are well-ventilated, easy to clean, and built to last. They represent a step up in quality and functionality from basic disposable cages.

Using the Candy Plug for a Timed Bee Release

The candy plug is the simple, brilliant mechanism that makes slow introduction possible. It’s a hard sugar candy that blocks the exit hole of the cage. The bees on both sides of the barrier—the queen’s attendants inside and the hive workers outside—slowly eat their way through it.

This process typically takes three to five days. This built-in timer gives the hive enough time to acclimate to the new queen’s scent before she is free to walk the combs. Do not manually release the queen early. Trust the bees to know when the time is right; if they release her, it means they have accepted her.

When you install the cage, you’ll see a small cork or plastic tab blocking the candy. You must remove this before placing the cage in the hive. A common mistake is removing the cork on the wrong end, which would trap the queen without a path to release. Always double-check that you are exposing the candy, not the empty chamber.

How to Correctly Position a Cage in the Hive

Where you place the cage is just as important as which cage you use. The goal is to put the queen right in the heart of the colony’s social hub. This means placing the cage in the brood nest, typically between two frames containing larvae and capped brood.

Hang the cage so the screen is exposed, allowing worker bees to walk on it, touch the queen with their antennae, and feed her. Do not lay the cage flat on the top bars, as this isolates her from the main cluster. The cage should be oriented so the candy-filled exit is pointing down or to the side, preventing any debris or deceased attendant bees from blocking her exit.

Make sure the two frames are pushed together gently but firmly, securing the cage in place. This ensures maximum contact with the house bees who will care for her. After installing, close the hive and leave it alone for at least five to seven days to avoid disturbing the delicate acceptance process.

Ultimately, the best cage is the one that fits your beekeeping style and the specific situation in the hive. Whether it’s a classic wooden cage or a modern push-in model, the principles remain the same: protect the queen, allow for scent exchange, and let the bees decide when to set her free. Master this, and you’ve mastered one of the most critical skills in beekeeping.