Bees 2 - Beekeeper Nil.

[Motobiman]

So got home from the BKA apiary full of confidence to mark and clip my two queens.

Couldn't find the first and couldnt catch the second with one hand.

So ordered a single handed catcher from Fleabay and currently Googling new glasses.

Girls were amazingly well behaved though so not all bad.

 

[domino]

If I've not picked one up in while I abuse a few drones first.

 

[Motobiman]

I'm pretty much ambedextrous but getting her into the tube of the holder is pretty difficult with just one hand and how the hell do you keep her there to get the plunger in, again with one hand?

She ended up running across the back of my hand and thats when I decided to come back another day.

Hope to manage it better with one of those Swienty one handed jobbies.

But heck she's quick . . . . . . .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm pretty much ambedextrous but getting her into the tube of the holder is pretty difficult with just one hand and how the hell do you keep her there to get the plunger in, again with one hand?

Those plunger cages are a waste of space IMHO - use a crown of thorns, much less faff for all parties involved - no chasing the queen around trying to get her into the tube then fiddling around with the plunger which loosens all the time. If you don't want to catch her and hold her with your fingers to mark - get the proper one not the plastic effort., see the queen on the comb, place COT down over her - she can't go anywhere but inside the 'cage' gently press down until she can't move, mark then raise the COT slightly and she can move freely, but only within the cage until the paint dries. You're not removing her from the comb, bees can still see and keep in touch with her - and the only cost? a few brood cells punctured during the process.

 

[For want of a better word]

I'm pretty much ambedextrous but getting her into the tube of the holder is pretty difficult with just one hand and how the hell do you keep her there to get the plunger in, again with one hand?

She ended up running across the back of my hand and thats when I decided to come back another day.

Hope to manage it better with one of those Swienty one handed jobbies.

But heck she's quick . . . . . . .

Easier when you get the confidence and experience to remove those great thick full metal jacket leather beekeepering gloves and use bare hands!
catchers are lethal to queens... if you do use the crown of thorns thingie... do not kneel on it!

Nos da

 

[pargyle]

if you do use the crown of thorns thingie... do not kneel on it!

Nos da

Or put it in your pocket and sit down !!

 

[Motobiman]

Thanks guys.

Off to shop I go, heho heho.

 

[Motobiman]

Easier when you get the confidence and experience to remove those great thick full metal jacket leather beekeepering gloves and use bare hands!
catchers are lethal to queens... if you do use the crown of thorns thingie... do not kneel on it!

Nos da

Yes I've been wearing a single pair of latex gloves and changing them between hives for hygiene purposes.

So if your on your own, how do you hold the frame?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I've been wearing a single pair of latex gloves and changing them between hives for hygiene purposes.

So if your on your own, how do you hold the frame?

You lay it down over the hive on the top bars

 

[Motobiman]

You lay it down over the hive on the top bars

And the bees underneath get themselves out of the way I guess.

Ok thanks.

Will let them settle for a week and go in again when the COT arrives.

 

[JWF]

I got one of those plungers things off fleabay and the holes in the end are too small for the nib of the pen to go through - which renders it useless. COT is far easier to use, i've since found.

 

[Motobiman]

I used a COT with the wooden ring at the teaching apiray so Gxx knows why I didn't do the same in my own.

Lesson learned here.

 

[Tremyfro]

I have used the crown of thorns to mark all my queens. It does the job but when I need to catch a queen I use a gadget I bought. It has a sliding closure. You place it over the queen on the comb...she climbs up inside with a few attendants and you slide the door shut. It can be done one handed but I do rest the frame on the top bars as suggested by Ericalfbee.

 

[Obee1]

I have the one handed queen catcher - but worry I may squish queen if she is moving too fast as I place the catcher over her. So recently decided to be brave and pick queens up by their handles (wings) in order to do this I cut the tip of the index finger and thumb off my rubber gloves. Then I pop her in the one handed catcher for marking. - I'm not brave enough to hold her whilst marking.

 

[Motobiman]

Thanks for the advice, it's a quandary and that's a fact.

This one was quick and I mean quick.

She dashed to the side of the frame and along on the foundation meaning I couldn't get the tube in front of her and then under the bottom and up the other side.

I got the tube in front of her and she avoided it and dashed up my finger and over the back of my hand.

I put my hand on the frame and she was down and gone onto the next frame.

Not even sure I could have got her with a COT now I think back.

Maybe I'll leave her and see if she slows down a bit later in the year.

This was a small swarm and she was big and fat and going great with laying so maybe discretion is better than risking injuring her.

 

[tonyofarr]

When you use the COT try and trap the queen on an old frame, a frame of newly drawn foundation is really tender and can get damaged by the spikes. I lost a COT once, spent ages looking for it and when I got home I found it stuck in the bottom of my boot !

 

[madasafish]

Easier when you get the confidence and experience to remove those great thick full metal jacket leather beekeepering gloves and use bare hands!
catchers are lethal to queens... if you do use the crown of thorns thingie... do not kneel on it!

Nos da

Use a plastic QOT : far safer to all concerned..and less damage to combs.

 

[Motobiman]

Use a plastic QOT : far safer to all concerned..and less damage to combs.

Can you confirm which one?

I ask because the one we saw used on a course had bars that were so thick the pen wouldn't fit through where madam was and he had to faff about trying to get her to move to a place where she could be marked at all.

The wooden ones have very fine string and it just seems wherever she is she can be marked through them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Got no truck with the plastic ones - go for the proper job, the amount of 'damage' it causes will be fixed in minutes by the bees.

 

[madasafish]

Can you confirm which one?

I ask because the one we saw used on a course had bars that were so thick the pen wouldn't fit through where madam was and he had to faff about trying to get her to move to a place where she could be marked at all.

The wooden ones have very fine string and it just seems wherever she is she can be marked through them.

No idea sorry. Only 3 vertical feet so damage minimised to comb..

I would not use a piece of equipment with multiple sharp prongs.. too dangerous..(to me)