When to mark your queens?

[Ewok]

Another Newbie question -

Just when should you mark new queens? The first time you see them? After mating? After they start laying?

Just that my wife & I have marked 3 queens recently (the first time we saw them) & then started wondering if it would have been better waiting for a couple of weeks untill they had started laying & then clipping her at the same time.

 

[VEG]

I would wait until they were laying.

 

[Onge]

Yes wait till they are laying before you mark or clip.

Otherwise they wont be able to get mated.

 

[oliver90owner]

mark or clip

Definitely the second needs to be done later! But no, I would not even think about disturbing a virgin queen if at all possible, let alone marking her. For a start she needs to be un-noticed by aerial predators while outside the hive! Do both at the same time when she is well into lay.

Regards, RAB

 

[VEG]

WOW 3 beekeepers recomending the same thing has to be a record lol

 

[thurrock bees]

i agree. i will not mark and clip my queens till they have started laying .

 

[Ewok]

Thanks all, We'll keep the marker pen for later.