Marking the Queen, what paint?

[sean-a]

I caught a new queen in a Nuc I had put some queen cells in at the end of June, a frame of eggs and a few lavae so I think that she's mated!

I clipped her and then put a blob of white gloss paint on, about 1mm square.
The paint seemed to bother her though, she was trying to get her legs up to clean it off....couldnt reach though, and I noticed that she'd slowed down.

I blew on her to try and dry the paint quicker and keep the fumes away from her.
She perked up a bit, but was still slower than before I marked her.

I have put her back in the Nuc......here's hoping that i have not damaged her.

What do you think?

 

[Swarm]

Personally, I don't really like marking queens but I'd stick to uniposca pens rather than some of the other ideas. Hope she is OK.

 

[enrico]

As above or the Eco tipex that comes with a pad and not a brush

 

[nantmoel]

I clipped her and then put a blob of white gloss paint on, about 1mm square.

What do you think?

Hmmmmm Gloss paint takes hours to dry, you might have been better off using emulsion if you didn't have a posca pen or something similar, I know fellow beeks use nail varnish as that also dries quick.

I hope she OK.

 

[Swarm]

Never understood using nail varnish because of the smell if anything. Humbrol model paint is another one.
Queens look better au naturel IMO.

 

[Karsal]

I caught a new queen in a Nuc I had put some queen cells in at the end of June, a frame of eggs and a few lavae so I think that she's mated!

I clipped her and then put a blob of white gloss paint on, about 1mm square.
The paint seemed to bother her though, she was trying to get her legs up to clean it off....couldnt reach though, and I noticed that she'd slowed down.

I blew on her to try and dry the paint quicker and keep the fumes away from her.
She perked up a bit, but was still slower than before I marked her.

I have put her back in the Nuc......here's hoping that i have not damaged her.

What do you think?

Solvent based gloss or water based gloss?
The first takes 6 hours to dry and the last about 1 hour to dry.

Tippex or Uniposca marker are some of the best.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Tippex or Uniposca marker are some of the best.

It really intrigues me that the OP even thought about gloss paint!!

 

[midnight sun]

Modern gloss paint may have solvents that dry too slowly and attack the cuticle of the sternite plates causing actual damage to the Queens outer surface. (plus the smell)
Not saying it's a definite...but not worth the risk.
I'm fairly sure there was a member on this forum that had something to do wirth the paint manufacturing processes, maybe the member will read this thread and enlighten us.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Sorry, but this post makes me cross.

Whatever persuaded the OP to use gloss paint?
How totally inconsiderate.

Sorry. I retract that.

How stupid!

Bees aren't wood or metal or plastic.

Just the tiniest bit of research would have revealed the existence of special marking equipment. Why does the OP think these methods of marking was developed? Even if (like me) he thought they might be a rip-off, for the sake of the bees, you'd think he'd have researched further.

Doesn't bode well for other aspects of his beekeeping.

Dusty