Ahem, guess what I did today?

[kazmcc]

A few years ago, using one of those damned plunger thingies (experimenting with the new 'mark and turn' ones from big T's), and a temperamental pen I slathered a queen in yellow paint, it was all over her- wings and all - in fact I was worried at one point the paint woas going to dry and leaver her stuck to the inside of the cage - I got her out and she scuttled between the frames. I was convinced she was done for. The following week, I opened up and there she was, the workers had tidied her up - clean wings and clean head and abdomen - apart from a perfect circle of paint left in the middle! She went on to give me loads of prolific daughters, hundredweights of honey (even in poor seasons) and they finally superseded her last autumn.

I think I need to practice handling drones or something, saying that though I'm fine with other bees. She is kind of important. I think I'd prefer the crown on this one. Less chance of damaging a leg chasing her around the frame.

 

[B+.]

Luckily the apiary manager was away that night. Managed to wipe it off the frames, but we had multiple 'queens' for weeks.

Well done Dusty!
I can do better though. I mark drones different colours to use for II...try finding the queen among that lot ;-)

 

[Tremyfro]

It is scary...knowing the bees may kill her or reject her. The first one I did...the SBI was at my shoulder...we caught her under the crown of thorns. I still feel jittery when marking a new queen...I must say it is a great relief when you buy one and it is already marked!

 

[kazmcc]

It is scary...knowing the bees may kill her or reject her. The first one I did...the SBI was at my shoulder...we caught her under the crown of thorns. I still feel jittery when marking a new queen...I must say it is a great relief when you buy one and it is already marked!

I hadn't even thought that far ahead! I was worried I'd break her leg or something. I caught another bumble today using mine, dead easy. If I could just forget about how important she is. I'm going to try and mark a few drones if Dusty will let me, or at least practice collecting them off the frames for next time. Can't wait to do another

Anyone need a queen marking? Lol

 

[Magwat]

How about trying a one handed catcher? You just put it down over the top of he queen (the correct end of it!) & wait for her to walk up the tube before closing (I didn't wait the first time & ended up with her dangling by one leg). There is a stop so that the plunger doesn't go up too far and you can't squash her.
I chucked mine into the bottom of my tool box after the dangling incident but have got it out again this year and used it for wing clipping which I've never been brave enough to try before.

 

[Obee1]

I hadn't even thought that far ahead! I was worried I'd break her leg or something. I caught another bumble today using mine, dead easy. If I could just forget about how important she is. I'm going to try and mark a few drones if Dusty will let me, or at least practice collecting them off the frames for next time. Can't wait to do another

Anyone need a queen marking? Lol

Yesterday I finally found my unmarked mean queen in my hive from hell. I had intended to use her for practice at queen handling- picking up via her handles, marking whilst holding her between my fingers - then do away with her. However as soon as I picked her up I panicked that she would escape my grasp. As it took me weeks of hunting to find her - even having another beek help me hunt - I squished her right there and then between my fingers - really hard. normally I can't even do the hive tool test. Usually I bung unwanted queens in my pot of queen lure vodka and they drown whilst I'm not looking.
Think I will have to do my marking practicing on drones too.

 

[kazmcc]

How about trying a one handed catcher? You just put it down over the top of he queen (the correct end of it!) & wait for her to walk up the tube before closing (I didn't wait the first time & ended up with her dangling by one leg). There is a stop so that the plunger doesn't go up too far and you can't squash her.
I chucked mine into the bottom of my tool box after the dangling incident but have got it out again this year and used it for wing clipping which I've never been brave enough to try before.

I've not seen that one. We had a look around at the convention, maybe that one passed me by.

 

[kazmcc]

Yesterday I finally found my unmarked mean queen in my hive from hell. I had intended to use her for practice at queen handling- picking up via her handles, marking whilst holding her between my fingers - then do away with her. However as soon as I picked her up I panicked that she would escape my grasp. As it took me weeks of hunting to find her - even having another beek help me hunt - I squished her right there and then between my fingers - really hard. normally I can't even do the hive tool test. Usually I bung unwanted queens in my pot of queen lure vodka and they drown whilst I'm not looking.
Think I will have to do my marking practicing on drones too.

Oh gosh you've been after that sucker for ages! Glad you found her. You couldn't risk her disappearing again.

I feel we'll be seeing lots of drones with dots on as everyone is having a practice lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

I feel we'll be seeing lots of drones with dots on as everyone is having a practice lol

I get them in my hives already and they are not mine

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How about trying a one handed catcher?

ended up with her dangling by one leg

That's why not - anyway, it's just another plunger marker affair, COT much easier and less likely to damage HM

 

[YorkshireBees]

That's why not - anyway, it's just another plunger marker affair, COT much easier and less likely to damage HM

I started using one this year and tbh I find it much better than cot as you can get rid of the worker bees and I can walk away to the back of my vehicle to mark her and let her dry before releasing her back into the hive.

I always found with a cot that the worker bees covered the top and either prevented me from marking her or got a coating of matching paint!

 

[kazmcc]

I started using one this year and tbh I find it much better than cot as you can get rid of the worker bees and I can walk away to the back of my vehicle to mark her and let her dry before releasing her back into the hive.

I always found with a cot that the worker bees covered the top and either prevented me from marking her or got a coating of matching paint!

I think COT would be better for people like me, at least until you get confident handling queens first.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think COT would be better for people like me, at least until you get confident handling queens first.

I think it's a better bit of kit altogether. You just gently place the COT over the queen, they settle down, the workers vacate between the spikes and then you press the cage down I agree with Yorkshirebees that you sometimes get the workers covering the cage but a gentle blow shifts them, as soon as you mark you can raise the COT enough so the queen can move around and the paint dries. The big benefit of this is, the queen never leaves the comb, the workers are a lot more relaxed and when ready you just lift it off and the queen saunters away.

 

[kazmcc]

I'm having trouble accessing the forum on my phone so I hope this works.

On Sunday we had a glorious 4 and a half hours beekeeping. Made up a nuc with my beautifully marked queen ( stop laughing Dusty!) and did my first combining of two colonies. Then we took the nuc up to the cathedral and combined it with a weak colony up there. I'm doing a lot of firsts lately. Thank you Dusty

Am I a beekeeper yet?

 

[BeeJayBee]

Am I a beekeeper yet?

Of course you are

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

You certainly are Kaz!

And to reassure you, I inspected the Cathedral hives this morning.

The nuc with your beautifully marked queen, has successfully united with the failing colony. She's laying and I combined the brood into one box.

The queen says, 'hello' by the way.

Dusty

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I think it's a better bit of kit altogether. You just gently place the COT over the queen, they settle down, the workers vacate between the spikes and then you press the cage down I agree with Yorkshirebees that you sometimes get the workers covering the cage but a gentle blow shifts them, as soon as you mark you can raise the COT enough so the queen can move around and the paint dries. The big benefit of this is, the queen never leaves the comb, the workers are a lot more relaxed and when ready you just lift it off and the queen saunters away.

Entirely agree. Two weeks ago at the association apiary the lead beek showed off his new one handed catcher and marked a queen. Last week I was lead and demonstrated the use of the crown of thorns to mark another queen. Much quicker, less stressful and the trainees remarked how much simpler it was.