new queen,escape artist.

[darren64]

I decided to mark my new queen today,what a task!!we eventually found her,but she managed to get off the frame we found her on,we found her again,and put the queen cage over her,we only took our eyes off her for a couple of seconds and when we looked again the queen cage was empty,the mesh on the lid was too big and she slipped through it,but she is marked now,lovely golden colour(similar to her mother)with very gentle offspring.

 

[the beehive lodge]

I have a Queen just like yours she is so fast i hope to mark her to as soon as i find again i know she there i think she make a bee line to the bottom of the hive little devil

 

[MJBee]

I had a drone laying queen that I eventually isolated onto two super frames. I knew she had to be there but could not find her, I eventually sieved the whole lot through a queen excluder and it wasn't until there were only 20 or so bees left that she ran out of hiding places

 

[aseeryl]

I was marking a queen last week in my usual cack-handed way. Slid her back into the hive and started to clear up. Had a quick look on the frame - gone. Semi panic checked all frames and just spotted the dot of colour on a side wall - she was cowering there with a whole lot of workers. Quick out and leave well enough alone.

 

[kazmcc]

Can't you just dab her with a blob of paint ( or whatever you choose to use ) while she's on the frame if she is still or just pottering? Do you have to handle her?

Or is it that you might mark a few. If that's the case, then you might only sort of mark a couple, and when you spot those on inspection, wouldn't you be able to tell they aren't the queen? I've been reading ( can't you tell ) and the book says, and I've read it on here, sometimes after handling the queen she can be rejected. This would limit the stress too ( on both beek and colony lol )

Just a thought

 

[winmag270]

Can't you just dab her with a blob of paint ( or whatever you choose to use ) while she's on the frame if she is still or just pottering? Do you have to handle her?

Or is it that you might mark a few. If that's the case, then you might only sort of mark a couple, and when you spot those on inspection, wouldn't you be able to tell they aren't the queen? I've been reading ( can't you tell ) and the book says, and I've read it on here, sometimes after handling the queen she can be rejected. This would limit the stress too ( on both beek and colony lol )

Just a thought

the best way i know of marking the queen, is to use a cage to hold her on the frame, rather than to remove her, etc

it's the method i use (a cage similar to the type with the spikes, but without the spikes) and so far have had no issues with rejection, etc

the reason for the cage kaz, is that the queen usually moves away from the light, smoke, etc, so you need to keep her still to successfully mark her and let her dry before letting her back into the colony

 

[darren64]

Can't you just dab her with a blob of paint ( or whatever you choose to use ) while she's on the frame if she is still or just pottering? Do you have to handle her?

Or is it that you might mark a few. If that's the case, then you might only sort of mark a couple, and when you spot those on inspection, wouldn't you be able to tell they aren't the queen? I've been reading ( can't you tell ) and the book says, and I've read it on here, sometimes after handling the queen she can be rejected. This would limit the stress too ( on both beek and colony lol )

Just a thought

an unmarked queen is very difficult to find,and once you have found her she is very agile and difficult to keep track of,the cage holds her in the same place while you mark her,you don't have to handle her at all,

 

[aseeryl]

I was using one of those frame cages with spikes. What i've done is to snip out some of the plastic mesh bars, to make the holes bigger and give easier access with the marker brush or pen. Seems to work alright, I don't like to have the queen in too tight in case of accidental damage.

They can kill the queen after if the marker material isn't properly dry. Apparently, it's thought to be due to smell.

 

[SixFooter]

I caught a queen in a marking cage and squashed her between the side of the cage and the plunger as I pushed it down. On a different day, I did a Bill Turnbull and speared one with a cage spike. I now pick them up with my fingers!

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks guys and gals, actually, I have seen one of those now you mention it. What are the spikes for? How do you avoid lancing a bee? I'm going to look for vids of it being done.....a pic or vid explains much better than words for me, bit like kids picture books lol

 

[winmag270]

Thanks guys and gals, actually, I have seen one of those now you mention it. What are the spikes for? How do you avoid lancing a bee? I'm going to look for vids of it being done.....a pic or vid explains much better than words for me, bit like kids picture books lol

the idea is that the spikes are a bee space apart, so you rest it over the queen and surrounding bees, let the bees exit then press it down onto the brood / cappings below, thus holding the queen in place for marking

how do you avoid spearing a bee / queen......?

sometimes you don't avoid it then you have problems, which is why mine has no spikes

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks winmag, looked like a medieval bit of torture kit to me It's all clear now. Thanks again.

 

[winmag270]

Thanks winmag, looked like a medieval bit of torture kit to me It's all clear now. Thanks again.

glad i could help

hate to think how they'd use one of those in medieval times!!!!