Marking pens

[Occam]

Seems to me I was just reading on here about marking queens with oilbased vs water based pens but I can't find where I was reading it. The nuc I bought last year had an unmarked queen so when I wondered if they swarmed this year I couldn't easily confirm. Didn't think about it last year but I can definitely see the use now. What pens do y'all use? Buy em online, hardware store, doesn't matter? Also what color is this year? I figure I'll mark her this years color so at least next year I know.

[Michael Bush]

Sometimes I settle for the acrylic ones because they are available in more colors and more vibrant (florescent) colors.  This is especially useful when I'm trying to keep track of multiple lines of queens (the more colors) and it's easier to see the florescent colors.  These you can get online or at a craft store.  But they tend to get removed by the bees too often.  So usually I go to the hardware store and buy testors enamel pens in the primary colors.  These very seldom if ever get removed by the bees.

https://bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#colors

I'm not really doing what I said in this page on my web site anymore.  First, there is a "one handed" marking system where the catcher and the marking tube are one device.  But I don't even use that much.  What I use I can't find anymore but I would guess that you could build one with #5 hardware cloth.  What I use looks like a magnifying glass with a handle except there is no glass, just a grid of metal mesh.  You pin the queen down on the comb and mark her there.  I used to just catch them with my fingers, but as I get older I tend to get a hand tremor if I try very hard not to squeeze too hard or too soft now, so mostly I use the device.

[Occam]

Awesome, thanks!

[Michael Bush]

The main "secret" to marking queens, is to buy next year's color and mark a thousand drones by whatever method you decide to use.

[jimineycricket]

      Michael, I believe that the device you refer to is called a crown of thorns. That is what I use. I have seen them in a bee supply catalog but I do not recall which one. I made the one I use.
      Looked again and found this: https://www.dadant.com/catalog/m01947-push-in-queen-marking-cage
      the one I use
     

[Michael Bush]

> I believe that the device you refer to is called a crown of thorns.

I have one of those too.  But I have never used it again after I speared a queen with it once.  This device has no protruding pieces.  You just press it hard enough to hold the queen down. 

https%3A%2F%2Fpenders.net.au%2Fproduct%2Fqueen-marking-tool%2F&psig=AOvVaw1YmzxTlhvrQGzo6JBHiYaA&ust=1683727525182000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CGMQr4kDahcKEwiYsMn6s-j-AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBg

Looks like you can get it in New Zealand... but I haven't found one here in recent times.

[Ben Framed]

Michael I would suppose you mash her just enough with the object to immobilize her.  I confess that when I first began marking queens I was concerned that I might damage one... But I was soon over that after few successful endeavors thanks to 'you' all here who help guide me in that experience.  😊

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

Yes.  You just press hard enough to hold her. Though, actually, the middle is convex enough I'm not sure you could hurt her by pressing too hard.  Still, I wouldn't...

[Oldbeavo]

We use Posca pens, don't know what they are but do dry quick and mostly stay on.
We use fluro pink, easiest color to see, and it will still let you know if she is original. We do write the date the queen was marked on the lid.
So if you have a pink queen in Spring and she was marked last Spring then she is a 2 yo.

[Michael Bush]

I use the international colors so I can tell how old a queen is.  They have florescent yellow, green, pink (for red), and a fairly bright blue.  White is easy enough to spot anyway.  Unfortunately I haven't seen these in testors enamel.

[max2]

> I believe that the device you refer to is called a crown of thorns.

I have one of those too.  But I have never used it again after I speared a queen with it once.  This device has no protruding pieces.  You just press it hard enough to hold the queen down. 

https%3A%2F%2Fpenders.net.au%2Fproduct%2Fqueen-marking-tool%2F&psig=AOvVaw1YmzxTlhvrQGzo6JBHiYaA&ust=1683727525182000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CGMQr4kDahcKEwiYsMn6s-j-AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBg

Looks like you can get it in New Zealand... but I haven't found one here in recent times.

I use this little gadget: https://www.qualitybeekeepingsupplies.com.au/index.php/catalogue/item/227-queen-marking-plunger

[Occam]

Thanks for the input y'all

On a related note I found my queen and marked her today (yellow since she's last year's queen). For the rest of my inspection and putting the hive back together my eye kept getting pulled to the yellow pollen the bees were busily bringing in 😆

[Bill Murray]

Ive never liked marking pens, I always got a nicer cleaner mark from the testors model paint in a bottle.

The poscas didnt last.

But with marley we were using the poscas for her to practice with. After our trip to bee camp I purchased something for her Ive had on my mind for a while but never got around to ordering for her. A QUEEN MUFF.

Anyway COLPART makes a dual-tip  acrylic that does not need to be pushed to mark and has a soft fine tip.

For someone thats used a blade of grass, Q-tip, make-up applier and multiple different pens I give this one a 10+. Also they wont break the bank if you loose them.

[Occam]

Cool Bill, good to know. Always nice having options