marking queens

[bontbee]

What are your views on how early a queen can be marked - with paint, rather than glued-on discs, please? I only mark a queen after she has started laying after an experience, years ago, when I marked a newly emerged queen with Tippex. She immediately started writhing and trying to wipe at her thorax with her hind legs. She looked in such distress, I squished her. I still mark established Qs with tippex with no ill effects, so it isn't the tippex itself that's the prob.

I don't want a repeat, so if you are willing to pass on your experience, I'd be grateful. Cheers!

 

[B+.]

What are your views on how early a queen can be marked - with paint, rather than glued-on discs, please? I only mark a queen after she has started laying after an experience, years ago, when I marked a newly emerged queen with Tippex. She immediately started writhing and trying to wipe at her thorax with her hind legs. She looked in such distress, I squished her. I still mark established Qs with tippex with no ill effects, so it isn't the tippex itself that's the prob.

I don't want a repeat, so if you are willing to pass on your experience, I'd be grateful. Cheers!

Did you use a cage?
Sometimes they wriggle and turn over just as you apply the mark.
The best advice I can give is to make sure she is immobile before you start. If she can turn, she probably will...so make sure she is flat against the foam and can't get her legs under her. Obviously, there is a fine line between restraining her and crushing her so you have to practice (practice on drones).
I mark mine with numbered disks straight from the incubator as soon as they emerge so they behave differently (i.e. they don't fly or run). You will have to find a way that works for you if you're marking them after mating because they certainly will fly.

 

[bontbee]

Hi B+.

I must apologise - I didn't make my post clear and missed off the bit that was most relevant! In this case, I marked with a cage, but this queen started writhing as soon as I had lowered the plunger a little to let her dry. I put her behaviour down to solvent passing through the cuticle - she really did look distressed. It was the first queen I had marked so soon after emergence. It was the first - and last - time I've ever seen a queen react like this to being marked.

It occurred to me that queen breeders such as yourself mark queens before introducing them, so I wondered how soon after emergence you do mark them? Is it really as soon as they emerge? I did a quick google to see if I could find out how long it takes for insect cuticle to harden, but didn't find anything useful...so thought why not get the info from those in the know!

Thanks

 

[B+.]

Sometimes they emerge during the night so they can be anything up to 12 hours old when I mark them but they could be as young as 2-3 hours. I mark them for life with numbered plastic disks and get them into their nucs as soon as possible (i.e. the same day).

 

[bontbee]

Thanks B+. It sounds as if just a few hours makes all the difference.
Cheers

 

[GlenJ]

I'm not fussed about marking, if there's a good opportunity I'll do it, otherwise no big deal. Different if you're selling and/or a queen breeder of course. I can imagine your anguish with that first queen and empathise.

 

[bontbee]

Thanks GlenJ - squishing a queen is never a good moment, but when it's because of something I have done.....

 

[B+.]

this queen started writhing as soon as I had lowered the plunger a little to let her dry. I put her behaviour down to solvent passing through the cuticle - she really did look distressed.

Perhaps you should consider using a water-based marking pen (e.g. Posca). I'm not sure what they're putting in tippex these days but it doesn't sound as though its the right thing to use. Having said that, queens will often wriggle around a bit as soon as they feel the net against their back.

 

[sipa]

If marking queens that are open mated, do it when they have settled after mating.

If the queens are to be II mated, then it makes sense to mark them at or prior to insemination with your preferred identifier.

 

[Tom Bick]

I don't as rule mark my queens but as I have started to raise my own I have started to mark them and getting very confident in handling the queens.

I would only mark the queens after they are mated and would not consider marking a queen to early in the season or late come to that.

 

[oliver90owner]

Tom's reply is on the button. Too early or too late in the season is a higher risk, but the best time is when those, that are asking, may find it more difficult to locate the queen. Compromises, compromises ....