Queen Marking

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi
I wonder if anybody has used a marking system where the queen gets a coloured number disk
I dug out some I bought years ago from thornes
They are tiny all white and came with a tube of fish glue which might be soy sauce after all this time

I was thinking of something a little bigger and coloured but still numbers

Or, is that just overkill are there easier ways of keeping track of queens ?

Also is anyone using the one handed marking cage/queen catcher?
I saw one but it made me think guillotine! is that wrong?

[Jon]

H

Also is anyone using the one handed marking cage/queen catcher?
I saw one but it made me think guillotine! is that wrong?

A member of our queen rearing group dispatched his queen with one of those.
Possibly the most useless piece of beekeeping equipment ever designed.

The turn and mark cage is the easiest way to mark imho.

turn-and-mark-cage.jpg

[Black Comb]

Yes the Thornes turn and mark is good as it has a "stop" to prevent squashing of queen.
Numbers, well I mark all mine the same colour and keep the details on the record card.

[Geo224]

What about picking the Q up by hand and marking?

Just curious how many people actually do it this way.

[Jon]

If you want to teach newbies it is not the best approach as they are too nervous about picking up queens.
The turn and mark cage allows any beekeeper to mark a queen.

[mbc]

What about picking the Q up by hand and marking?

Just curious how many people actually do it this way.

By far the safest and best approach IMHO

[prakel]

What about picking the Q up by hand and marking?

Just curious how many people actually do it this way.

That's the way that we clip queens and would without question be the method used if we actually started painting them. I suppose the important thing is to feel comfortable with whichever procedure we use.

[The Drone Ranger]

I have dropped them a few times trying to just hold them
I have stabbed one with the crown of thorns
so its crack pipe/pooter and blow into a thornes plunger style marking cage
I might investigate the turn and mark type though

The one handed marker is now off the Xmas list (11 weeks to go eek!)
I have seen commercial queens with a quite big almost fluorescent marking disc
Dont know how they attach them though

[Rosie]

I like to mark mine under a "crown of thorns" and then pick them up for clipping. I don't like holding them for too long so I mark them before picking them up.

[Jon]

Try the turn and mark thingy Steve. It's easier than the crown of thorns I reckon. With the crown of thorns you often have a couple of workers inside with the queen and others getting in your way on the outside. With the turn and mark cage the workers leave through the slots and you can walk away to where there is good light to mark and clip the queen. The other thing is, it allows you to have a really good look at the queen to see if she has any damage to her feet or antennae.