Caging queens for shipment

[Broke-T]

Every monday I go thru 48 mating nucs catching, marking, and caging queens. After the first dozen my fingers are coated with propolis. This makes it hard to cage queens and attendants since my fingers are so sticky I can't turn them loose when I stick their heads into the cage.

To the queen breeders out there, what do ya'll do to help with this problem?

Johnny

[Skinner Apiaries]

Never tried it but an old man used to tell me some moonshine was good for that. I usually take a break and was my hands. Its really a pain when their wings get stuck on my fingers, or one of those workers flips around and nails me in the thumb...

[AR Beekeeper]

I clean my fingers with a cloth and rubbing alcohol.

[Michael Palmer]

I have employees that find the queens...125 every four days, and I catch, mark, and cage them. My fingers get covered with annoying bees and stingers, not propolis.

[cg3]

an old man used to tell me some moonshine was good for that.

When I work with moonshine, pretty soon I don't feel like doing anything.

[clean6]

Skinner

I would trade moonshine for a couple queens?

[AR Beekeeper]

Enough "Shine" and they all look like queens.

[camero7]

Enough "Shine" and they all look like queens.

[westernbeekeeper]

AR Beekeeper's got it: old rag with rubbing alcohol.

[Michael Bush]

Mineral oil laxative aka FGMO.

[Broke-T]

Michael, do you just coat your fingers with it beforehand or clean them with it?

Johnny

[misslechunker]

LMAO! Me too!

Enough "Shine" and they all look like queens.

[Michael Bush]

>Michael, do you just coat your fingers with it beforehand or clean them with it?

Clean them with it. The good thing is it has no smell and it softens your hands instead of drying them out...