Perth live internet event!

[Neils]

That chap should be reported to the RSPCA
If you want a crown of thorns the plastic ones are useless
Do you sometimes think some people are not cut out for beekeeping ??

I'm going to stick up for them, from their comments and shiny new kit they're obviously new and haven't done it before. Yes it's a great "how not to..." guide and I will be tucking it away for a session somewhere; but they got the general gist of what they needed to do and for the sake of a minute with someone who'd done it before they'd have been fine.

[The Drone Ranger]

Beside painting the whole queen white they were probably crushing her as well
Big fat gloves pressing the cage
Trying to hit a moving target
Using a marker pen on the cage
Sorry Neil
They are Morons

[mbc]

Beside painting the whole queen white they were probably crushing her as well
Big fat gloves pressing the cage
Trying to hit a moving target
Using a marker pen on the cage
Sorry Neil
They are Morons

I'm with Neil on this, calling them morons is a tad harsh. These push in queen marking cages are tricky to use properly and dont come with instructions, I find picking her up easier than using them.
The head and thorax needs to be trapped firmly without squishing the abdomen, try doing this when you're nervous and wearing thick gloves ! a total liability for beginners IMO.
If beekeepers havent got the confidence or dexterity to pick a queen up but they want to mark her, I advise one of the plunger marking cages as they are much gentler on the queens abdomen, but they do require a bit more potentially dangerous farting around with the queen to get her in there.

[Neils]

Beside painting the whole queen white they were probably crushing her as well
Big fat gloves pressing the cage
Trying to hit a moving target
Using a marker pen on the cage
Sorry Neil
They are Morons

The fact she's still running around under the cage suggests they're not crushing her You'd hope they'd learn from the experience. There is a reason I tend to buy up thick leather gloves at associate auctions, take them home and burn them and that video is one of them.

If they do it again like that, I'd agree they're morons, especially if they either get helpful comments or some experienced one to one help as a result. Everything in that video suggests they're new beekeepers trying their best to follow reasonable advice and making a complete hash of it; I've been there, done that more than once, I just didn't post a vid of me doing it on you tube.

[nemphlar]

WW nice video. After years of pinching her by the wings I bought that plunger and catcher set last year, it works a treat very tidy little white spot, no stress. Almost always had couple of workers in with her. Very handy as the faculties deteriorate

[fatshark]

The other dependable way to catch queens if you don't want to use your mitts directly is one of those glass or plastic "crack" pipes sold by Thorne's (and no doubt others):
Q0010-500x500.jpg
These are easy to use. Take out the foam bung from the 'bowl' end. Put it the bowl over the queen against the comb. Be patient. She'll eventually walk up the pipe. Lift it off the comb, putting your thumb over the end. She will by now be backing back down the pipe. Pop the foam bung back in place. If you want to mark her in one of those plunger-type cages (or put her in a queen cage) remove the small plug from the thin end of the pipe … aim it correctly and either wait for her to make her own way down or (much, much faster) give a quick puff through the foam bung in the bowl end and she'll be jet propelled into the cage