Is Marking The Queen Bee A Good Idea?
Whenever you desperately need to find a queen in the colony, it's ALWAYS one that you haven't yet marked. I have spent hours looking for unmarked queens but now, I make sure they are all marked early in the season and it makes my beekeeping inspections so much easier. Should I mark the queen bee? In all beekeeping scenarios, the answer is yes.
In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the why, when, and how of marking a queen bee, exploring the benefits and potential drawbacks. By the end of this article, you'll have a deeper understanding of the art of queen bee marking and its significance in beekeeping.
Before we start, if you are looking to buy queen bees, we stock the very best Buckfast genetics found within Europe at Black Mountain Honey and send queens across the UK.
Our favourite queen is the F1 Buckfast Queen, which is available here:
The Importance of Identifying the Queen Bee
The queen bee serves as the heart of a bee colony, playing a pivotal role in maintaining harmony and productivity. Identifying her amidst the thousands of worker bees is not only a fascinating skill for beekeepers but also a practical necessity. See how difficult it can be to see a queen when she isn't marked!
Marking the queen bee facilitates colony management, aids in tracking her age, and helps prevent accidental replacement, ensuring the colony's stability.
When to Mark a Queen Bee
Timing is crucial when it comes to marking a queen bee. Ideally, this task should be undertaken during a hive inspection when the colony is calm and the weather is favourable. Spring or early summer is often the best time to mark the queen, as the hive is typically more docile during these periods. It's also much easier to find the queen when there aren't as many bees in the hive. It's essential to choose a day when the bees are not agitated, reducing the risk of disturbance within the hive.
How to Mark a Queen Bee
First up, you need to choose what type of paint you are going to use. We like to use TOMA oil based paint pens as we find the mark lasts for much longer than the water based pens.
Marking a queen bee requires precision and a gentle touch to avoid causing stress to the hive. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth and successful process:
Gather the Necessary Equipment:
Queen marking cage. Marking pen with a gentle, non-toxic ink (typically, colours like white, yellow, or bright blue are used). We use TOMA oil based pens
Locate the Queen:
Conduct a thorough inspection of the hive frames to locate the queen. Be patient and gentle to avoid causing disruption.
Isolate the Queen:
Once the queen is identified, use a queen marking cage to gently isolate her from the rest of the colony. This step helps in minimising stress for both the queen and the worker bees.
Marking the Queen:
Carefully take the queen from the cage and hold her gently with the thorax exposed.
Use the marking pen to apply a small dot on the queen's thorax.
Allow the ink to dry for a few moments before returning the queen to the hive.
Alternatively, if you pin her down correctly in the cage, you can mark her through the cage. This is much easier and will cause less damage to the queen.
Monitor the Hive's Reaction:
Keep a close eye on the hive's reaction to the marked queen.
The worker bees may need a brief adjustment period, but they generally accept the marked queen without issue. The main risks with paints pens are you either apply too much pressure or the paint leaks on the queens body and wing. You can avoid leaky paint by scribbling on a frame before hand to ensure a smooth flow of paint.
The Significance of Queen Bee Marking
Age Identification:
The colour code on the queen's thorax indicates her age, allowing beekeepers to track the progression of generations within the hive (see below).
Easy Spotting during Inspections:
A marked queen is easily identifiable during hive inspections, saving time and minimising disturbance to the colony.
Enhanced Record-Keeping:
Beekeepers can maintain more accurate records by noting the queen's colour code, aiding in hive management and health assessment.
Considerations and Potential Drawbacks
While queen bee marking offers numerous benefits, it's essential to consider potential drawbacks and exercise caution. Don't get caught out and end up with the mess below. That's one unhappy queen bee!
Stress on the Queen:
The marking process can induce stress on the queen, potentially impacting her egg-laying capabilities. Beekeepers must prioritise gentle handling to mitigate this risk.
If performed correctly, the stress on the queen is very minimal. Its only stressful when things go wrong - as above!
Worker Bee Agitation:
The introduction of a marked queen may initially cause agitation among worker bees.
Observing the hive's reaction and providing sufficient time for acclimation is crucial.
Regular Monitoring:
Beekeepers must consistently monitor marked queens to ensure the marking remains visible and that the queen's health is not compromised. TOMA oil pens help with this as the marking takes much longer to be removed by the bees.
Marking a queen bee is an art that blends precision, patience, and a deep understanding of hive dynamics. While the process requires finesse, the benefits far outweigh the potential drawbacks. Beekeepers who master the skill of queen bee marking gain a valuable tool for effective hive management, enabling them to track the queen's age, prevent accidental replacements, and streamline colony inspections.
The delicate balance between nature and human intervention is at the heart of successful beekeeping, and marking the queen bee is a prime example of how careful, informed actions can contribute to the health and productivity of a bee colony.
All of our queens at blackmountainhoney.co.uk come pre-marked so you don't have to do it at home. All you need to do is decide which queen bee is best for you. Is it Ligustica, Carniolan or Buckfast. Check out our comparison HERE
Our video below which shows the method we use to mark all of our queens at Black Mountain Honey. We hope you find it useful.
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