[KQ6AR]

Over the years I've read so many give good advise to practice marking on drones. Did I listen, NO.

Attempted to mark one of the nwc queens I raised this year in a marking tube, with a marking pen. Pumper the pen to get ink to the tip ,& positioned the queen properly in the tube. When the tip of the pen touched the plastic screen too much ink came off of it. She has a little ink on both wings, & her thorax.
I'll check on her next week, to see if she's still alive.
Maybe another bone head like myself can learn from my mistakes.:doh:

Should I have touched the tip of the pen against my pants before, touching the queen?

 

[olky]

i've been marking queens all summer. the same thing happened to me a couple day's ago. i felt dumb. queen is doing well and still laying as of today.
she'll probly be alright.

 

[Rube63]

You might try getting some practice on drones...

 

[KQ6AR]

You might try getting some practice on drones...

THanks

 

[CAHighwind]

...I'd never even thought about practicing on drones... that's a friggin' great idea! I'm gonna do that! Thanks, guys! I love this forum... See? Someone will learn from your mistakes

 

[brac]

I do ok marking them by hand, where I have trouble sometimes, is catching them. I like to practice on droneswhen I visit my neighbors hives, using the current queen color of course

 

[basser59]

The first time I marked a Queen I did the same thing. Now when I mark one I hold her upside down and higher then the marking pen. This way if there is to much paint on the tip it flows down and away from the Queen.

 

[Specialkayme]

I do ok marking them by hand, where I have trouble sometimes, is catching them.

I second that. My hardest part is catching the queen. I don't like queen marking pens, or fancy tubes, or anything. I catch them and use a small paint brush. Works well for me (when I can catch her, that is)

I like to practice on droneswhen I visit my neighbors hives, using the current queen color of course

HILARIOUS

 

[AstroBee]

I use the marking pens with good success, but the trick I learned is that you must always touch something with the pen BEFORE you touch the queen. I use the back of my glove. This way you avoid a problem if the paint runs.

 

[Rick 1456]

I started practicing on workers that landed on the humming bird feeders.
I got pretty good at putting different colors on them,,,,like bee face painting:lookout: Some of them got pretty messy. When I watch the hives, I see the "art work" come flying in and out. Go out the next day,,,,,same girls at the feeders. Guess they like it
Rick from so Md