Marking the Queen

[monkeyfish]

Greetings,

I just found the new queen today, 23 days after the swarm. Also spotted some larva. So appears we are back on track.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to mark her. I used a spot of acrylic house paint. One wing got 'glued' down by it. Afterwards I thought this may have been a mistake? Any harm in doing this??

Thanks,
~Scott

[Robo]

Marking is always a good idea.  It is the only way to tell if you still have the same queen, or if she has been superceded or swarmed.

Buy yourself a Testes paint marker at your local hobby or craft store to keep in your bee stuff.  It is the easiest way I have found to mark them.  You should just put a spot on the top of the thorax and not get any on the head or abdomen.

[asleitch]

Greetings,

I just found the new queen today, 23 days after the swarm. Also spotted some larva. So appears we are back on track.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to mark her. I used a spot of acrylic house paint. One wing got 'glued' down by it. Afterwards I thought this may have been a mistake? Any harm in doing this??

Thanks,
~Scott

I've read somewhere that this doesn't matter. THe book is written by someone who has taught evening classes for 30 years. In that time, he says students have squashed the queen, dropped her, pulled her wings off, and stuck one/both wings together. It specifically says stuck wings do not seem to have any noticable detrimental effects to the colonies, and he has several hundred, so is well placed to tell if their are any problems....

Adam

[leominsterbeeman]

Maybe keeping her wings down will help prevent the next swarm?

Is this superceeded queen strong, are you seelimg lots of larve?