Names and numbers

[Bumble]

Have been discussing the merits of various ways of marking hives for record keeping.

Do you number your colonies, or do you give them a name?

If so, do you attach the name or number to the floor, the brood box, the roof or the hive stand? Or is it 'none of the above'?

Do you use removable names or numbers, so they can be transferred to a new box in the spring or whenever the colony moves house?

And, finally, does whatever label you use refer to the queen or the colony?

[Jon]

My numbering system always refers to the queens and I keep a record sheet in a plastic cover under the lid of each colony. The record sheet always follows the queen in the event of any splits, artificial swarms etc.

[Neils]

I tried an informal system of naming/numbering and it's fine until I went back over my notes and tried to figure out which was which.

This year I went out and bought door numbers and screwed/glued them onto the roofs. I considered putting them on the brood boxes, but felt that was too liable to change.

Generally the roof follows the queen until she goes into a Nuc. So after the AS I did, the queen is still in hive 1, the brood went into hive 4 and becomes a new colony.

When the queen moves, the notes move with her.

[chris]

I use plastic numbers fixed with small nails-very easy to lever off. They go on the brood box and follow the queen if she moves.

Reminds me of the funniest post I ever read on a beekeeping forum. This guy in Belfast claimed to have an empty hive that he'd named "Bispham'.

[Rosie]

I use CDs. I cut them into four and melt a hole near the corner (which had previously been the centre of the CD) to take a drawing pin. I then mark the queen's number with a permanent marker pen and pin it to the brood box. If I move the queen into another box I take the number with her.

Some CDs are pliable and cut nicely with scissors but others are brittle and crack.

Rose

[Bumble]

My home-printed and laminated numbers, attached with gaffer tape to the lid, seem a bit amateurish by comparison. I tried velcro, but haven't found a glue that will reliably attach it to aluminium.

[Neils]

Bumble, I think whatever works for you is fine, seems like a perfectly workable (and cheap!) solution to me. One of our old hands writes in permanent marker on the roof and has a system to indicate whether there is a queen, what year she is, whether she's clipped and marked etc. He's explained it to me several times and I still don't get it, but it works for him which is the important thing.

[Adam]

For me, hives are numbered. Except that marker pen fades (especially blue) so after the winter I've forgotten what's what! (Well nearly). My records are kept indoors in a ring binder which are updated in the back of the car as I go - unless I forget which does happen.
I recall for the BBKA General Assessment you're supposed to have a plan of the apiary, however hives sometimes move about due to combining, and queens can move too so I don't think it's worthwhile having a plan - as long as the hive numbers haven't dissappeared!

[chris]

[QUOTE=Nellie;11419 One of our old hands writes in permanent marker on the roof and has a system to indicate whether there is a queen, what year she is, [/QUOTE]

To avoid buying a mass of marker pens that are only used a few times each, I always mark all my queens in red, and then write her marking date on the brood box. Works fine, but then I don't sell queens or nucs.

[Neils]

All of mine are marked red too. I think we might have a white pen kicking around somewhere as well as one of my queens from last year is definitely marked in white, who knew?