Marking queens

[Nick Lang]

I have seen several different methods for marking new queens......what is recommended for a beginner.... wouldn't want to damage her??

 

[WoodenBeam]

Crown of Thornes - not a cheapo plastic one.

 

[Anduril]

Crown of Thornes - not a cheapo plastic one.

Easiest method for a beginner, but use gentle pressure to isolate her for marking.

 

[Swift Nick]

I like the plastic tube with sponge headed stick, the reason being you can release the pressure on the queen straight after marking, the queen is isolated, whilst the paint dries.
I have a wooden crown of thorns, but don’t like to leave the queen trapped for too long, so I have eased the pressure off whilst the paint dries, then she smears it over herself against the threaded mesh or workers caught with her try and clean the paint off. You do need to pick the queen up for the tube method, but put on a thin nitrile glove for that, practice on some drones.
I have a one handed queen catcher as well, but find it a bit of a faff.
All three are probably good methods, it’s about how you use them and what suits you.

 

[robinharman]

Practice picking and marking by using drones. When confident after a few do the queen. Exoskeleton, so they are strong
Really builds up confidence and I make beginners do it on courses

 

[Erichalfbee]

Practice picking and marking by using drones. When confident after a few do the queen. Exoskeleton, so they are string
Really builds up confidence and I make beginners do it on courses

Nothing like throwing them in the deep end, eh?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Nothing like throwing them in the deep end, eh?

Marking using drones is standard practice in most teaching apiaries. It's fun to watch newbees continually spotting the marked "queen" at the next inspections.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Marking using drones is standard practice in most teaching apiaries. It's fun to watch newbees continually spotting the marked "queen" at the next inspections.

Fun for all the neighbouring beekeepers too.
I’ve always been able to pick up workers and drones. 13/14 years later I still have palpitations picking queens up. I have to take my gloves off which adds to the stress.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Fun for all the neighbouring beekeepers too.
I’ve always been able to pick up workers and drones. 13/14 years later I still have palpitations picking queens up. I have to take my gloves off which adds to the stress.

I was taught by RP so used to gloveless handling but this is the way to do it. By a master

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i use a marking cage....the new one from Thornes which has slits rather than a grid....it is very good...£1.50...and a pot of paint rather than a pen...much easier too...less chance of flooding her

 

[Erichalfbee]

I was taught by RP so used to gloveless handling but this is the way to do it. By a master

Oh yes. That’s what I try to do but he makes it look so easy.
Mind you with a few more hives than two mistakes are more rectifiable

 

[Nighthaunt]

Marked 5 queens as absolute beginner - used the one handed which worked well - the slots meant the queen aligned so easy to mark thorax - used pens but dabbed on glove first so only a little put of liquid on nib - better to light touch a few times than flood in one I thought.

 

[madasafish]

Marked 5 queens as absolute beginner - used the one handed which worked well - the slots meant the queen aligned so easy to mark thorax - used pens but dabbed on glove first so only a little put of liquid on nib - better to light touch a few times than flood in one I thought.

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I occasionally use the above but I find very small and active queens can escape through the bars.
I normally mark all Qs after emergence in a incubator but do that in the kitchen so fliers are caught by the window: only happened once so far in six years of doing it.
I use crown of thorns for very runny queens and fingers for more mature ones. Hold with my right hand and mark with left .

 

[Newbeeneil]

I occasionally use the above but I find very small and active queens can escape through the bars.
I normally mark all Qs after emergence in a incubator but do that in the kitchen so fliers are caught by the window: only happened once so far in six years of doing it.
I use crown of thorns for very runny queens and fingers for more mature ones. Hold with my right hand and mark with left .

Mmmmm interesting, I hold with the left and mark with the right but I was told by my wife I was clipping the edges of the lawn the wrong way yesterday!
I certainly wouldn't trust my left hand doing the clipping!!!!!!

 

[BBC]

Practice picking and marking by using drones. When confident after a few do the queen. Exoskeleton, so they are strong
Really builds up confidence and I make beginners do it on courses

This is the method I was shown in the apiary last season. I watched an experienced neighbour this season trying to mark his queen with a isolation device.
He dropped her, she flew off and he had to requeen.
I gently picked up two queens, marked and replaced them in seconds.
I’ll never use a device again.

 

[Swarm]

It's great if your fingers work properly and far easier than the various tools, I'm afraid I'd either drop them or squash them these days.
Those one handed jobs work fine when they are new but with a bit of wax, propolis, honey, they get a bit gunked up, my mate struggled with his this year.

 

[Polymorph]

I saw BMH mark the queen on the frame. Just pin queen on the frame and mark, no lifting involved. With nitrile gloves I've found straightforward.

 

[Wildflower 123]

i use a marking cage....the new one from Thornes which has slits rather than a grid....it is very good...£1.50...and a pot of paint rather than a pen...much easier too...less chance of flooding her

I got that one, its so easy even I a novice can do it, first time, caught her marked her.