Queen roller cages, part of a NICOT queen rearing system. 

NICOT queen roller cages, also known as hair roller cages, are specialized devices used in beekeeping for the purpose of queen rearing. These cages are part of the NICOT queen rearing system and serve several important functions:

• Protection: The primary use of NICOT queen roller cages is to protect queen bees during the rearing process. They are designed to prevent queen fights at birth within a hive or incubator, ensuring the safety of the developing queens.
• Compatibility with Systems: These cages are compatible with the NICOT queen rearing system, which is a method used by beekeepers to raise new queen bees. The system includes various components, and the roller cages are used once the queen cell has been sealed by the worker bees.
• Construction and Design: The NICOT queen roller cages are made of plastic and are cylindrical in shape, resembling a hair roller. This design allows for easy handling and placement within the hive or incubator.
• Ease of Use: The cages are simple to use and are designed to be placed over the sealed queen cell produced in a NICOT cell cup. This prevents newly hatched virgin queens from killing unhatched rivals, which is a common occurrence in bee colonies.
• Additional Features: They come with a cap, which can be used to close the cage. This feature is useful when transporting the cages or when additional protection is needed for the queen cells.