Queen Marking
Queen marking refers to placing a coloured mark on the queen's thorax.- Why?
- She is easier to find.
- The mark colour indicates her age.
- You can tell if she has been superceded.
- Some swarm control requires you to find the queen.
- How to find her:
- She has a longer abdomen than workers.
- She walks more carefully - queens do not rush.
- Surrounded by a retinue of workers.
- Only on brood frames.
- May try to hide from you.
- She will be on brood frames with empty cells - some polished.
- She will not be on frames of all capped brood.
- Once you have found her:
- You can hold her in your hand.
- Hold her on your finger with her legs trapped.
- Do not try this with gauntlets.
- Nitrile gloves are almost too thick.
- The queen will not sting. She only stings queens.
- You can trap her beneath a "crown of thorns".
- A crown of thorns.
- Place the crown over the queen and press down gently.
- Do not spear the queen with the thorns.
- Do not spear the workers with the thorns.
- As soon as you have her trapped workers climb on top of the crown.
- It is not easy.
- You can place her in queen catcher.
- A Queen clip
- This can either be a clip, as shown, or a plunger.
- For the less experienced these are the easiest to use.
- What colour?
- Year ends in 1 or 6 use White for Will.
- Year ends in 2 or 7 use Yellow for You.
- Year ends in 3 or 8 use Red for Rear.
- Year ends in 4 or 9 use Green for Good.
- Year ends in 5 or 0 use Blue for Bees.
- Remember - Will You Rear Good Bees?
- What paint?
- Tippex
- Only available in white.
- Brush is too big to use.
- Solvents do not upset the bees.
- Posca Pens
- Pens
- These are water based acrylic paints.
- Point is correct size for queen marking.
- Jab the pen on a hard surface to load the nib each time.
- How to paint her:
- As always move smoothly and quietly.
- You want a spot 2 to 3mm across.
- Use a match stick or Posca pen nib to apply the paint
- Let the paint dry before releasing her.
- If using the clip put the clip on the top bars.
- Wait a minute for all to be happy before you release the queen.