Clipping a Queen's wings with gloves on.

[Tomo]

Hi, this is the end of my first year keeping bees. I successfully caught and marked my queens without any problem. Next year due to a slight change of circumstances and attitude towards losing a swarm and annoying the neighbours I have decided to clip my queen's wing. In the you tube videos we see experienced beekeepers catching, marking and clipping a queens wing without gloves! If I did this it's going to be painful.
Is there a way you would clip a queen's wing with confidence, wearing gloves? I have used a queen marking tube and plunger before, is this a good idea for clipping too? Thanks.

 

[itma]

... In the you tube videos we see experienced beekeepers catching, marking and clipping a queens wing without gloves! If I did this it's going to be painful.
Is there a way you would clip a queen's wing with confidence, wearing gloves? I have used a queen marking tube and plunger before, is this a good idea for clipping too? Thanks.

Remember that the Queen cannot/will not sting you.
After you have removed her from the colony, you can handle her safely - from your point of view (however it is important that it is safe from her point of view too).


My suggestion would be that you get plenty practice clipping drones wings, before trying a Queen.
They simply cannot possibly sting you.
And, while its unfortunate, etc if you screw up (its unfortunate for the drone anyway...) at least its not catastrophic (except for that drone ...) The colony has plenty more drones.

 

[Davelin]

I catch the queen with a clip, wearing gloves, and put her in my pocket.

I then lay an empty frame on top of the brood box, remove my gloves and run the queen out onto this frame. Having made sure my marker pen and scissors are at the ready I can then pick her up, mark and clip her with no fear of sting.

 

[Tomo]

Its not so much being stung by the queen that was bothering me, its more her daughters in a grumpy mood that I was bothered about. I don't mind a few stings every now and then, as this is par for the course. I just didn't fancy hands like boxing gloves if they were in a grumpy mood and I could do it with gloves on.

 

[beeno]

Hi Tomo,
I use the plunger tube for marking too. Catch her in it and go indoors to take gloves off not to press too hard - or light for that matter. I did have problems with one queen that kept poking her wing through and I got some paint on that. Since then I have seen people recommend this procedure for clipping. Very handy it would be too. However, not sure I could make it happen when needed. It is a possibility though. Good luck

 

[midnight sun]

Hi, this is the end of my first year keeping bees. I successfully caught and marked my queens without any problem. Next year due to a slight change of circumstances and attitude towards losing a swarm and annoying the neighbours I have decided to clip my queen's wing. In the you tube videos we see experienced beekeepers catching, marking and clipping a queens wing without gloves! If I did this it's going to be painful.
Is there a way you would clip a queen's wing with confidence, wearing gloves? I have used a queen marking tube and plunger before, is this a good idea for clipping too? Thanks.

I vary, depending on conditions, but I tend to use a "Baldock" cage (crown of thorns to some).
Easily traps the Queen on the frame, so no need to try and remove her, then press gently to trap her against the comb when she is in the right position for you to mark her. Mark her and while the 'paint' is drying you can clip her to save time. When paint is dry just lift cage and let her go (after a quick use of smoker if workers look too interested). Easy and little chance of damaging her.

 

[Madge]

... one queen that kept poking her wing through and I got some paint on that. Since then I have seen people recommend this procedure for clipping. ...

Yes, once you've trapped the queen between the sponge and the net, you gently rotate the plunger so that the queen rotates backwards until a wing pokes through the net, and then you clip it. However, I think you'll still need to remove your gloves to do it properly without injuring the queen.

 

[Arfermo]

Yes, once you've trapped the queen between the sponge and the net, you gently rotate the plunger so that the queen rotates backwards until a wing pokes through the net, and then you clip it. However, I think you'll still need to remove your gloves to do it properly without injuring the queen.

Works broadly the same with a crown of thorns? In my case, I have twice cut threads that retain the queen and then had to redo them. Nuisance but won't change - being old, clumsy happens!!! Never knackered a queen yet though. Trouble with releasing queen indoors is the offspring that get trapped too.

 

[Madge]

Works broadly the same with a crown of thorns? In my case, I have twice cut threads that retain the queen and then had to redo them. Nuisance but won't change ...

You can't rotate the queen using a crown of thorns - so, yes, you can only cut her wings by cutting the strings! And you can't do that very delicately, I would have thought.

 

[midnight sun]

You can't rotate the queen using a crown of thorns - so, yes, you can only cut her wings by cutting the strings! And you can't do that very delicately, I would have thought.

Never had that problem. If not happy with position, then loosen the 'grip' of cage to let her move for you. Or you can 'hook' the wing with scissor tip and lift clear of strings and then snip. It's down to control of scissors.

 

[enrico]

I just don't bother clipping them any more!
E

 

[midnight sun]

I just don't bother clipping them any more!
E

Hi Enrico.....
That's another way making sure she keeps all her legs!

 

[enrico]

Hi Enrico.....
That's another way making sure she keeps all her legs!

 

[masterBK]

You could use tight fitting nitrile gloves. Unlike using bare hands you don't leave your sweat/scent etc on the queen with nitrile gloves on. When I did the preliminary exam in 1959 (later renamed Basic) candidates were expected to pick up a worker off the comb by its wings without getting stung. You chose one with its head in the cell as it would have its wings sticking up so easier to grab hold off with your fingers of an ungloved hand.

Suggest you learn to pick up and handle queens safely as it will save you lots of time in the end doing marking, clipping etc compared with messing about with cages and the like. Also it is a skill required at General and advanced husbandry level.

 

[beeno]

Yes, once you've trapped the queen between the sponge and the net, you gently rotate the plunger so that the queen rotates backwards until a wing pokes through the net, and then you clip it. However, I think you'll still need to remove your gloves to do it properly without injuring the queen.

Thanks for that answer. I am against clipping in principle, but one never knows. I have not managed to annoy any neighbours yet on account of having very well behaved bees so far ... on other matters well that's a different story.

 

[beeno]

Suggest you learn to pick up and handle queens safely as it will save you lots of time in the end doing marking, clipping etc compared with messing about with cages and the like. Also it is a skill required at General and advanced husbandry level.

I may very well start that this spring provided I still have a lot of spare queens coming out of winter. Got two to mark and you never know your luck, may have a duff one, so I could clip her wings.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I find it too easy to pick up the queen and mark her. I don't clip queens, but it would be a similar process without using the various devices. I handle and mark thousands of queens each summer and couldn't imagine using a marking tube, etc. It must be clumsier and more dangerous for the queen. With gloves on, I think it would be next to impossible...at least for me.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2tSkW9YuHY

 

[beeno]

I find it too easy to pick up the queen and mark her. I don't clip queens, but it would be a similar process without using the various devices. I handle and mark thousands of queens each summer and couldn't imagine using a marking tube, etc. It must be clumsier and more dangerous for the queen. With gloves on, I think it would be next to impossible...at least for me.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2tSkW9YuHY

Hi Michael,
Thanks for posting that again, been looking for it!
Do tell, what the oh look was! Another Queen as you thought? One small point, you hardly had any worker bees on the frame. How does one engineer that?

 

[Michael Palmer]

Do tell, what the oh look was! Another Queen as you thought? One small point, you hardly had any worker bees on the frame. How does one engineer that?

I believe Kork had just spotted another queen. Mini-nuc with small population. Makes it easier to find the queen...later in the season there are may more bees and more difficult to find queen.

 

[midnight sun]

I find it too easy to pick up the queen and mark her. I don't clip queens, but it would be a similar process without using the various devices. I handle and mark thousands of queens each summer and couldn't imagine using a marking tube, etc. It must be clumsier and more dangerous for the queen. With gloves on, I think it would be next to impossible...at least for me.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2tSkW9YuHY

Good video Mike! Shows everything clearly.