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Click on the isolation cage below to read all the different ways you can use it in your hive.
Queen Isolation Cage 240
760-0240
Price excludes GST
For brood breaks and healthy hive management.
As varroa mites become resistant to miticides, and varroa re-invasion issues become more severe, beekeepers all over the world are desperately searching for alternative treatments. Brood breaks in conjunction with Oxalic Acid (OA) vaporization is extremely effective and low cost and is becoming a very popular option.
Nurse bees can go in and out to care for the queen.
To release the queen, slide open a door on the cage and she will come out as soon as the hive is closed back up.
The cage is large enough to allow plenty of pheromone distribution, so the bees don’t try to supersede her.
Packed 100 per carton.
It is recommended to cut a window out of a brood frame and fit the cage into the window. See photos.
The bees will secure it in place.
The frame can live permanently in the hive. Position it as an outer frame in the brood box when it has no queen enclosed.
When the queen is inside, keep it near the middle of the brood box so she keeps warm and fed.
It is recommended to use a ¾ depth frame in a full depth brood box.
The bees will build drone comb underneath it.
If there are any mites in the hive, they will tend to go to these drone cells.
When they are all capped, they can be easily scraped from the bottom of the frame and disposed of, mites and all. (Chooks go crazy on them!)
Some beekeepers fit the cage between 2 frames in horizontal position instead of vertical.
See photo with plastic frames. The comb is scraped back to the foundation.
There is a question whether this way allows enough pheromone to be released but it seems to be okay.
There are many applications for this cage.
1. Varroa Control.
From mid-Spring to mid-Summer, 75% of the varroa mites in a hive can be breeding inside the capped brood cells and are protected from most varroa treatments.
By creating a brood break, all the varroa mites are exposed and can be killed with 1 – 3 cents worth of Oxalic Acid by Vaporization.
The InstantVap Vaporizer is very quick and efficient for this application.
Procedure: -
Most commercial queen breeders will mark queens for no extra charge. That makes them very easy to find to allow for quick caging and very low cost varroa control.
2. Swarm Control.
Cage the queen in Spring to control swarming and varroa mite populations.
There are 3 stages that usually precede swarming.
The procedure is best performed during the first or second stage.
It is important to time this procedure to maximise field bee numbers at the start of the honey flow.
3. To maximise a honey crop.
Some honey flows can be very valuable but occur for an intense & brief period of only 2 or 3 weeks.
To maximise the crop, cage the queen 2 or 3 days before the start of the expected honey flow. This allows for the following: -
The honey crop can then be removed, queen released, and the hive can be vaporized with OA to kill virtually all the varroa mites in the hive.
4. Requeening with cells.
Put old queen into the cage when adding a queen cell. Check hive 24 days later to see if there is a new laying queen. If not, the old queen can be let out to continue laying. If there is a good new queen, the old queen can be removed. There is likely to be no capped brood so the hive can be vaporized with Oxalic Acid to kill virtually every varroa mite in the hive.
5. Over Winter.
Beehives in good condition in Autumn will greatly benefit with a brood break in the winter.
If you have hives in a location where this doesn’t happen, you can do it with an isolation cage.
The bees that hatch out after you cage the queen will live happily till the next batch of brood arrives several months later, after the brood break period.
This is all conditional to the bees being healthy and having enough of them at the time of caging.
The queen can be caged for 3 to 4 months without any detrimental effects to her health or performance.
24 days after caging, there will be no capped brood and the hive can be vaporized with OA.
If done with the correct technique, it will kill virtually every varroa mite in the beehive. (There is no capped brood for them to shelter in.)
Another treatment one week later is recommended to wipe out any possible varroa mite remnants.
Varroa mites can potentially turn up from stray bees from other colonies, but they cannot breed when there is no brood.
The temperature in the cluster will drop from 34°C to around 22°C to 28°C. With the lower temperature and no brood, there are significant advantages such as: -
No varroa strips will be required in the beehive unless you have massive varroa mite re-invasion issues from nearby colonies.
Caging the queens in first week of April and releasing in last week of July worked very well on some trial beehives in the Nelson region in 2023. (NZ)
The queens went crazy and laid a lot of eggs very fast. A month later, there were lots of beautiful big frames of very healthy brood!
When the queens are released, the hive can be vaporized with OA so that if there are any varroa mites present, they are virtually all killed.
Example of a cage in a plastic frame secured with SIKA MS bond.
Another Queen Isolation Cage option is the Technoset Queen Cage Frame.
It takes the place of a frame and works on all the same principles that are listed above.
InstantVap COMPACT 18 volt
760-0050-Ma
Price excludes GST
The latest 2nd Gen Version of the all popular InstantVap has arrived: Meet the InstantVap COMPACT!
Similar to the previous generation, this makes vaporizing oxalic acid (OA) in beehives an absolute breeze, however it is better in many ways!
NEW Design:
With a radical overhaul this unit is a lot smaller, lighter and stronger than the previous unit. Focusing on the essentials, this unit is more practical in the field. The unit sits a lot better with most standard batteries. With only one switch, the unit is simply controlled by an LED light.
NEW LED light
This unit is preset to all the right parameters and all you need to do is watch the flashing LED. The light is easy to see even on sunny days. Engraved on the unit is the following guide so you know what your InstantVap is doing:
By simplifying and making all these changes this new generation is available at a more affordable price!
It is very cheap per application! The Oxalic Acid only costs 1.5 cents per beehive for a 3 gram dose (based on buying a 25kg bag for $120.00 +GST in Feb 2023). Treat 1000 beehives for only $15.00 +GST for materials.
Check out our InstantVap Operational Guide for more info.
Applications & suggested dose rates. (Also view the video. See the link below.)
1. For beehives with solid bases, apply 2g of OA vapour at the bottom entry. Block the entry with a wet towel for 5 - 7 minutes to trap all the vapour in the beehive while treating other beehives.
2. For beehives with vented bases, use a vent blocker sheet and carry out the same process as stated above. The vent blockers can be removed after 5 - 7 minutes.
3. For beehives with vented bases that are very difficult to block, we recommend that you do a 3 gram dose from the top of the hive. A small notch cut from the rim of the hive mat is excellent for winter ventilation and a great spot to apply the vapour. If the beehive has lots of honey supers, a notch cut from the rim of the queen excluder can give good access for the vaporizer. we sell stainless steel excluders with an entry door which is ideal. See the examples on the video.
4. Alternatively, the vapour can be applied through a hole in the front plate of the brood box for the fastest application. Drill a hole as high as possible in the top brood box but close to the side so the vapour penetrates the hive between the outer wall and outer frame. Drill a 6.5mm hole if using the brass nozzle bare. Drill a 9.5mm hole if using the silicon sleeve on the nozzle. After application, the hole can be blocked up with a golf tee.
6 Amp/hr 18V Makita LXT Batteries also available here
Respirators must be worn when vaporizing - Check out our range here
Cleaning of these devices is important - Watch our Cleaning Video.
For a quick overview on how the device functions, watch our video.
Included with each Vaporizer:
1 x Vaporizer
1 x Plunger
1 x 500g of OA
2 x Silicone Caps
2 x Silicone Sleeves
2 x Spare O-Rings
2 x Cleaning Caps
The finer details:
The InstantVap is powered by common power tool batteries including:
The device is compatible with only one type of battery. Please select your type carefully. Price does not include any batteries.
InstantVap Vaporizer 12 volt
760-0031
Price excludes GST
InstantVap 12 volt battery powered, oxalic acid vaporizer. Top quality product manufactured in Europe.
This unit makes Vaporizing a breeze for any beekeeper! Its only been on the market since end of 2021 and has been a massive hit in America and Europe. Beequip are excited to be part of the journey by becoming NZ's Sole Distributor!
The InstantVap 12v version comes with a 4m lead and clips so you can easily clip it on to any 12 volt battery.
Check out our InstantVap Operational Guide for more info
We also sell these in a version that is powered by common 18 volt power tool batteries. Click Here to view them on our website.
Respirators must be worn when vaporizing - Check out our range here
For a quick overview on the InstantVap, watch our video below:
Included with each Vaporizer:
1 x Vaporizer
1 x Plunger
1 x 500g of OA
2 x Silicone Caps
2 x Silicone Sleeves
2 x Spare O-Rings
2 x Cleaning Caps
The finer details:
Queen Excluder Cage for 3 frames. Stainless steel.
760-1030
Price excludes GST
Crafted from premium 304 grade stainless steel, our queen isolation cage sets the new standard for durability and corrosion resistance in beekeeping equipment.
Fits three full depth frames with either 33mm or 35mm end bars.
Applications:
Benefits of using the 3-frame cage during the Honey Flow:
A. Eliminates the need for a queen excluder, resulting in increased honey yield.
B. Optimizes hive resources with less brood and more nurse bees available for honey gathering or ripening.
C. Significantly reduces mite reproduction with the decreased brood area.
D. Three good brood frames are enough to sustain the hive during a honey flow period of 8 to 10 weeks.
E. At the end of the honey flow, the 3 brood frames can be removed to make a nucleus colony with the old queen.
F. A queen cell or mated queen can be introduced to the production hive for requeening purposes.
G. The production hive can be vaporized with Oxalic Acid to kill virtually every varroa mite in the hive while there is no capped brood. Super cheap & efficient with InstantVap.
H. Start the Autumn (Fall) with zero varroa mites!
I. Alternatively, the 3 brood frames can be frozen to kill the varroa mites inside the cells then added to strong healthy colonies to clean up and re-use.
Specifications.
Internal hive dimensions must be the Langstroth standard to ensure the cage fits properly and there are no gaps for the queen to escape.
Many beekeepers ensure their queens are marked so they are easy to find for caging when required.
One frame cage available here.
As we see more and more varroa resistance to the synthetic miticide strips, beekeepers are turning to organic acids for successful varroa control. There is no evidence worldwide of the mites getting resistant to them. The stainless steel cages are very resilient in an acid environment and will not oxidise and deteriorate like galvanised steel products.
It pays to get quality!
Queen Excluder Cage for 1 frame. Stainless steel.
760-1010
Price excludes GST
Crafted from premium 304 grade stainless steel, our queen isolation cage sets the new standard for durability and corrosion resistance in beekeeping equipment.
Fits one full depth frame with either 33mm or 35mm end bars.
Applications:
A. Introduce a clean empty brood frame to the cage.
B. Find the queen and enclose in the cage.
C. Position the cage into the middle of the brood nest.
D. A good queen will lay in virtually every cell within 2 days.
E. After 26-28 days, there will be virtually no capped brood and all mites will be exposed to treatment. Can be 23 – 25 days if there is no drone brood.
F. Vaporize with Oxalic Acid for virtually complete mite elimination.
G. Whenever desired, the frame of brood with queen can be removed from cage and added back to brood nest.
H. The cage can be removed from the hive or left at the side of the brood box with a food frame enclosed until needed.
Specifications.
Internal hive dimensions must be the Langstroth standard to ensure the cage fits properly and there are no gaps for the queen to escape.
Many beekeepers ensure their queens are marked so they are easy to find for caging when required. The labour cost for this procedure is negligible when compared to the cost of resurrecting colonies killed by varroa mites!
Three-frame cage available here.
As we see more and more varroa resistance to the synthetic miticide strips, beekeepers are turning to organic acids for successful varroa control. There is no evidence worldwide of the mites getting resistant to them. The stainless steel cages are very resilient in an acid environment and will not oxidise and deteriorate like galvanised steel products.
It pays to get quality!
InstantVap LITE - 18 volt
760-0070-Ma
Price excludes GST
ENSURE YOU SELECT THE CORRECT BATTERY TYPE BEFORE ADDING TO CART.
The InstantVap LITE 18V is a revolutionary, lightweight, and compact cordless oxalic acid vaporizer, perfect for small-scale beekeepers looking to simplify Varroa mite treatments. Designed with efficiency, durability, and practicality in mind, the InstantVap LITE offers all the performance you need for up to 20 colonies. It is full commercial quality like the Compact model but has an economy heating system to conserve battery power and hence the reason for slightly longer cycle times.
or click here to watch the Short Video.
Battery Compatibility
The vaporizer is dispatched with a battery connector plate to suit one type of battery only. Choose from a range of popular battery options below:-
Note: Batteries are not included.
Stay in control with a simple, intelligent LED system:
Designed for cold, windy conditions, the InstantVap LITE features a double-wall furnace for consistent performance. Its deep discharge protection shuts the device down at 15.4V to prevent battery damage.
With CE certification and a robust build of acid-resistant stainless steel and brass, the InstantVap LITE ensures user safety and long-lasting reliability. The compact, lightweight design makes it ideal for hobbyists or small-scale beekeeping operations, offering unmatched convenience and practicality for Varroa treatments.
NB. Minimum of 100mm of free air space is recommended in front of the outlet nozzle to prevent the oxalic acid from solidifying on surfaces.
Why Choose InstantVap LITE?
Treat your colonies easily and efficiently – get your InstantVap LITE today!
6 Amp/hr 18V Makita LXT Batteries also available here
Respirators must be worn when vaporizing - Check out our range here
We highly recommend giving our Blog article a read - Field Trial with InstantVap