Finding and Marking Queen Bees

The queen honey bee is the one that keeps the colony going, literally, by laying eggs that grow into more bees. Besides egg-laying, her pheromones keep the colony cohesive, along with the pheromones from workers, drones, and brood. A beekeeper who can reliably locate the queen can then be certain of her safety.

Marking the queen helps you find her more easily, and then you can set her frame safely in a nuc during the rest of the inspection. Marking her also helps you find and replace her a year or more later if her egg production is lagging.

Learn some ways to find her, and the ins and outs of two queen marking methods.

Products featured in this video:

[robertshorthill]

Here's a tip from an old dude that has kept bees for about 18 years regarding use of queen excluders. Pull the QE back about 3/4" (20 mm) from the front edge of the lower box. Why on earth? Because drones can not get through the spaces and get stuck and often die, clogging up the bee spaces that the workers need. Drones will go where they take a notion to go during a nectar flow or during the times they are allowed to stay in the colony. (spring and summer). A queen will 99 times out of a hundred not find or go through this gap, or "drone way". If a QE is clogged, it will demoralize the otherwise happy, gentle bees making them nasty and aggresive. If you must use a QE covering the edge, put a stick or wedge on top of the QE for the boys to get where they want to go -- where the food is. I bought 1 QE when I only had 3 hives and discovered the fault of using it. I then used it only for setting up a double queen colony, again, with this gap in the front. Trust me, you do not want to restrict the income of nectar during a great flow. Bob in Montana

[robertshorthill]

Another tip for making a queen marking tube like this. My bee supply store sells only deep and medium box parts and medium foundation. If I want a smoker or a queen grabber device, I am out of luck, but I CAN purchase a ceramic skep honey pot to give to my aunt Tilly for her birthday. I took an empty medicine pill bottle, you know, the amber ones with a snap on lid. Don't use the screw on lids. Cut the flat bottom off the bottle and de-burr it. Next find a 3/4" piece of wood that would be suitable for a plunger. Draw a circle around this wood slightly bigger than the bottom opening Drill for a 1/4" dowel about 3" long, glue it in the hole. Chuck this thing in an electric drill and sand this piston down to fit into the opening of the bottle. Next take the white snap on cap and drill 7 holes with a drill bit that measures .234" (15/64") Catch the queen as shown here and wait till her thorax is under one of these holes. Squeeze her carefully to immobilize her. Mark her, wait a minute for paint marker to dry then release her back to her combs. Sometimes one has to think of alternatives to expensive or non-existant bee keeping accessories. Now, my next project may be a cheap, but functional smoker device, since the bee store claims there is a "shortage" of smokers this season. Bob

[ChickenSaladRimjob]

Am a new beekeeper. Was able to locate and mark my queens today for the first time!

[intheshellify]

How is this the first time I've heard the Wow You Raise Great Bees pneumonic?!?! Brilliant info that is now forever

[johnmorris]

Great video. Thanks for producing these.

[bradgoliphant]

Hello Betterbee. I have a question. Can I tell my hive is queen-right by watching the entrance and seeing if the bees are bringing in lots of pollen? Will bees bring in pollen if there is no queen and or larva to feed? I'm aware that the best method is to look inside for eggs, but can you tell by watching the entrance? Please share. Grateful for you. brad

[sergeiostapuk]

Hi how are you what’s the brand of marker