Shipping: I've received more dead queens in cages without attendants in them than those shipped with attendants in the cages....even with plenty of bees dumped in the shipping container to feed the queens.
Haven't noticed any real difference in success of introduction in cages with or without attendants.

Longer term caging:  I have a good friend that cages his queens in the hive near the end of the nectar flow as he says it increases the honey yield and also serves as a break in the varroa cycle. 

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