Marking Queens

[Killervector]

So, first time beek here. Getting my first package within a couple weeks. Queen will not be marked. Should I mark her before I release her? If so, can I just pull the hardware cloth off the side of the cage and mark her? Will I need any special tools, other than the queen marking pen? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks.
Chad

[Ben Brewcat]

I mark all my queens (well I try to be on it ). It's helpful especially for a newbie while your queen-finding radar is developing. However it can be a little intimidating for the new beek too: you REALLY don't want to injure her. Your book and mentor can show you the drill, or look on YouTube. Practice on drones.

Or don't mark, it's easy! Your colony won't swarm the first season so you'll know it's your queen still in there (most likely, they could supercede).

[Jaseemtp]

I forgot to ask for mine to be marked and wanted to mark them terrible bad,but chickend out at the last minute. Do what is suggested and practice on drones, they can sting ya and its not that big of a deal if you kill them. Good luck
Jason

[Whitetail]

I mark mine so I can tell their age and if they've been superseded. I like to keep track of their genetics. I catch them by their wings with my right hand. ( don't wear gloves of course) transfer her to your left hand and grasp her between thumb and forefinger on the thorax, with the middle finger for support under her legs if needed. Grab the prepared pen with your freed right hand and come up behind her with the pen at an angle away from her. I've had some I came strait down on and she felt the pen with her antennae. Not good. Only one way to learn though......

[Killervector]

Yeah...my bee supplier gets em from california. For $93 per package you'd think I could get my queen marked....but they can't do it I guess. I may try...but am leaning towards just requeening next year with a marked queen. Not sure what Ill do yet.

[rkr]

they can sting ya and its not that big of a deal if you kill them. Good luck
Jason

Jason ment they "can't sting you". My kids play with them all the time. The don't have a "stinger". Just wanted to make sure you knew that.

I have marked some queens (8?) last year. It's not to hard.

Like Jason said practice on drones to get used to your equiptment. My biggest problem was too much paint came out of my pen twice and went places I did not want it (wings, head) It was an equiptment error and I will not use that pen again. I used a stem of grass dipped in the blue pen paint to finish the queens I had to mark.

RKR

PS it's kind fun to see a few of the drones you practiced on running around for awhile.

[KQ6AR]

Personally I don't think you should try to mark her yet. Wait till later in the season, & see if you feel confident enough to do it.
I marked my first two last year. After I had a full year under my belt. One was really over marked fortunately the bees didn't kill her. The other one came out better.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

If you cannot pay the dollar or two to get her marked, you should just leave her alone. It is very easy to damage her permanently. If you grab her legs or abdomen, if the paint goes into the sphericles, if she is injured in the process, you have wasted her.

[Whitetail]

Very true AmericasBeekeeper. You can easily damage her legs or abdomen. You can easily get too much paint on the tip of the marker too, and get it where you shouldn't. I've had good queens superseded from beginners error. If you don't have a definite need for marking, you might just leave her bee. it's definitely safer.

[Island Apiaries]

You can mark your own easily enough. I use a marking cage and have yet to harm a single queen. You just have to be gentle and fast.

[Acebird]

I mark mine so I can tell their age

Why not just mark the hive with the pen or just write the date on the hive box.

[BerkeyDavid]

Agree do not try to mark her if you are a newbee. Wait a few years. THen practice with drones. THey CANNOT sting you, they can only sting another queen.
When you are ready to try on the drones, pick up by the wings with your right hand, then grasp the legs in your left hand. (if you are right handed), THen take your right hand and pick up the marking stick, dip in paint, and mark.
You can injure or kill her so many ways. So practice. Do not get paint where it doesn't belong or that will make the bees kill her.
After you have marked her, put her in a cage for a few minutes so the paint can dry.

[Killervector]

Its not that I can't afford the dollar... its that its not available from the guy I'm buying from. I bought late in the year, as I'm just getting started and didn't know I had to order so early, and he said its not possible. Unfortunately.

[Michael Bush]

The most important thing is to buy NEXT year's color and practice on drones with next years color. Then use THIS year's color when you mark your queens. Do enough drones that you're comfortable with it.


http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#colors
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenre...m#Queenmarking

[Jaseemtp]

sorry for the confusin, I meant they can not sting you. After reading this post I went out to the hives for 2 or so hours and caught drones and marked them. The bad part was I used this years color so I have a ton of drones with white dots on their backs. It was a great learning experince, but i am still to chicken to try and catch and mark the queen.

[tommyt]

What can you use if you don't have a Bee marker
is it Model Paint ??

Maybe I'll air brush a few

[My-smokepole]

Model Paint works fine. If I remember right this year is white.
David

[BerkeyDavid]

Yes testors' model paint is what I use. Just shake up the bottle and then there is enough paint on the inside of the cap lid. I just use the end of a weed, like a timothy stem if I am only marking a few. If you are doing a lot you can drill a hole in the cap and insert through the cap, which works really well because you can wipe off the excess as you withdraw the stick.

[Cedar Hill]

Queen bees should be left in their most natural state possible. Clipping wings and painting her make her look "physically challenged" to the rest of the hive. The less done to them the less of a chance of their being supercedured. It's not worth the trouble. Learn to find her and be done with it. There must be research on this somewhere. OMTCW

[Ben Brewcat]

OTOH, if she's not marked you'll not know if she HAS been superceded . Marking is the only way to know, and I've had marked queens last years. May people operating public observation hives mark to help the public find the queen. Yes one must learn to do it, but I don't think the data or collective experience would support marking as increasing supercedure risk.

Clipping might be another matter, but it seems to be a nearing-obsolescence practice anyways.