Ruta Queen Isolator (one-frame)

Ruta Queen Isolator (one-frame)

One-frame queen isolator - Ruta, used with Langstroth-Ruth hive systems. The size of the device corresponds to a 435 x 230 mm frame. Its main purpose is the temporary isolation of the queen bee, preventing contact with other bees.

A situation where an isolator is needed arises when a queen bee has to be replaced in an already established colony. If a new queen is introduced into the hive without prior preparation, the bees will treat her as an intruder queen and will inevitably kill her. To prevent this situation, the new queen is placed in an isolator designed so that worker bees cannot get inside, preventing them from reaching the queen bee. During isolation, the queen bee takes on the scent of the hive, which greatly increases the chances that the bees will accept her once the isolation is removed. It takes several days for the queen bee to absorb the hive scent. While the queen bee is in "confinement" she is not inactive: she has full freedom of movement across the frame, allowing her to lay in the combs, which the worker bees will begin to tend immediately after the isolation is removed.

The isolator is made of stainless steel. The mesh openings are of an optimal size, preventing the queen bee from leaving the isolator and preventing other bees from entering, while at the same time the mesh does not restrict the supply of oxygen to the queen bee. Throughout the isolation period the queen bee remains active and, by the time the isolation is removed, the frame is usually fully laid up.

After the isolation period is complete, the frame with the queen bee is removed from the isolator and placed in the brood nest.