Blue Posca paint

[Repwoc]

I just checked one of my colonies that was re-queened last week. The bees had released her so I checked quickly for eggs. Didn't see any eggs so had a longer look through to find the marked queen. I was just about to give it up when I spotted her - the blue marking had almost worn away, leaving just a thin ring of remaining paint.

I've another colony where I thought the newly introduced queen had vanished - now I'm not so sure.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think this issue may stem from putting too generous a blob of paint on the queen - only the surface dries leaving a blister of wet paint on the thorax which, in short order bursts leving just the outer, properly cured ring of paint remaining (this is just a recent thought after observing this phemnomenon more than once)

 

[Swarm]

Not just blue, I've found a few queens that were marked/remarked earlier this year and the mark is almost gone.
Moving frames on my landlord's Demarree on the weekend revealed the queen with the faintest of marks left on her, where she had been well marked and easy to spot just a week earlier.

 

[BMH]

Try a TOMA oil based pen. You can find them on Ebay.

Work a lot better than the POSCA.

 

[beeno]

Following all the advice above with a white POSCA pen which used to work perfectly. Be interesting to see how that goes.

 

[Repwoc]

I think this issue may stem from putting too generous a blob of paint on the queen - only the surface dries leaving a blister of wet paint on the thorax which, in short order bursts leving just the outer, properly cured ring of paint remaining (this is just a recent thought after observing this phemnomenon more than once)

It could be that; however these queens were all marked after emerging in an incubator on 7th May so the paint has had several weeks to dry. The marks were definitely very clear when I transferred the queens to Butler cages.

 

[Repwoc]

Try a TOMA oil based pen. You can find them on Ebay.

Work a lot better than the POSCA.

Thanks - ordered one this morning.

 

[madasafish]

Try a TOMA oil based pen. You can find them on Ebay.

Work a lot better than the POSCA.

Agreed.

And CHEAPER

 

[GuyNir]

Try a TOMA oil based pen. You can find them on Ebay.

Work a lot better than the POSCA.

+1

 

[Wingy]

Also found this, re marked a 2018 and a week later almost gone, it’s worn off most of my 2019 Q’s
I’ve just got some Abelo numbered discs and have glued 2 x 2020 & 3 x 2019 Q’s this week. Will see how they go.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Need to give the queen a few minutes in the cage before you let the other bees on her otherwise they clean it off and it doesn't last.

Bought the light blue toma pen tho, give it a go as should be easier to spot than the darker blue poca.

 

[beeno]

Need to give the queen a few minutes in the cage before you let the other bees on her otherwise they clean it off and it doesn't last.

Bought the light blue toma pen tho, give it a go as should be easier to spot than the darker blue poca.

It does not go instantly! But it does not last long.