There are so many things to do before one can mark a queen. First I will have to get my eyes on the queen on one of the frames. Of course, she will almost definitely be in the very middle of the frames in one of the two boxes.

Next, I'll need gather my tools.  There are two tools I'll need. First, I'll need the, are you ready? ... Queen marking tool.  I know, it's an odd name that doesn't really fit the job it does (hehe). Next is the marker that will actually make the visible marking on her back.

I’ll use the cushioned prong to guide her into the tube and then secure her at the top with the cushion, very gently. I will need to make sure that she is forward moving when I secure her.  If she's not, there is some potential for damaging her wings and if that happens, the hive will replace her (no one likes a defective queen).

Last year our queens were marked yellow. This year they will be makred red. Each color represents a different year. In some years they are also green, blue, or white.

When she secured our use the marker on her back. I’ll need to hold her in the tube for a little while while the marker dries because the rest of the hive will not like the smell of the wet marker. Once that's done, TA-DA!  Our queen will be marked in red!

Thanks for following me on this journey! You can watch our maintenance video from the 17th of June below!  Enjoy!

~Chris, The Boxing Beekeeper