How to Mark a Queen Honey Bee

Learning how to mark a queen bee often intimidates new beekeepers. Yet, it is an important skill to know. Having a marked queen honey bee has numerous benefits and will help you monitor the health of the colony. In this guide, I share with you my process for marking my own queens. However, there are several methods used by beekeepers- you can choose the one you like best.

As a new beekeeper, I too struggled with being able to find the queen bee in my hives. It is still hard to do when the colony is large. But, keeping marked queens makes that job much easier and helps you complete faster hive inspections.

What You Need to Know Before Marking a Queen

Any task performed by a beekeeper has some inherit risks. Can you harm your queen during the marking process? Yes – you can and sometimes we do. Be gentle.

This is especially complicated due to the role of the queen bee in the colony. As the only reproductive egg laying female, she is the sole source of worker brood – the next generation of colony workers.

However, marking queens provides valuable information about her health and productivity. Issues that directly impact the overall well-being and success of the hive

Queen Marking Paint

There are several different paints beekeepers use for queen marking. For years, many used the regular model tester paints – I’m not sure if that is a good or bad idea but it did work.

Today, most of us opt to use a paint pen. The paint pens by UNI-POSCA are most commonly used (Honestly, they are the best and what I always use).

Always do a test blob on a nearby piece of wood first. Sometimes, the first bit of paint that comes out of the pen is too much. Do not get paint on her wings, antenna or legs. We only want a small dot of color on her back.

International Queen Bee Color Chart

You can mark your queens with any color you like – perhaps your favorite? It just needs to be bright enough to show up when you are looking for her.

However, it is common practice in the beekeeping world to use the International Queen Bee Color Chart.

You do not have to rely on your memory to know which color was used for which year. Use the color pen that corresponds with the last digit of the year.

White 1,6 Yellow 2,7 Red 3,8 Green 4,9 Blue 5,0. So, a queen raised in 2020 would be marked with a blue dot, 2021 – a white dot, 2022 – yellow dot, 2023 – red dot, etc..

Locate the Queen Honey Bee on a Frame

Easy right? Not always. The queen could be anywhere but is mostly likely in the area of the hive with bee brood.

Look carefully for her in and on the frames in the brood nest area. You may have to look at a frame more than once – be careful as you lift and replace frames.

Catch & Hold The Queen

I think one of the most intimidating things about marking queens is holding them. Some beekeepers seem to have no problem with this.

But, I always have a bit of angst and fear that I will accidentally crush her, drop her or have other types of bad luck.

When developing a strategy to catch and hold your queen, do what feels comfortable for you. We need to restrain her for a few seconds without harming her.

Two Common Methods of Containment

• catch and hold the her with your fingers
• use a queen marking tube or cage

Holding a Queen Bee With Your Fingers

If you have a steady hand and calm nerves (I do not), you can take the direct approach to catching your queen. Restraining her in this manner takes some skill.

Gently grasp her and hold her body between your thumb and 1^st finger of your non-dominate hand. The second finger provides a place for her feet to sit. 

Move your fingers to expose the top of her thorax this is where you will put a small dot of paint. If the idea of picking up your queen in this manner makes your blood pressure rise – never fear, there are other options.

Using a Queen Marking Kit with Tube

Using a queen marking tube (available alone or in a kit) is the easiest method to safely mark your queens. You do not have to hold her but care must still be taken to avoid applying too much pressure.

Locate the frame with the queen and gently lay the frame down with that side facing up. Remove the foam-covered plunger from the tube and “corral the queen into the tube”. 

Replace the foam plunger and gently push her to the end with a mesh covering. The sponge surface will protect her if you are careful.

Continue to slowly nudge her until her back (this is the part of the bee called a thorax) is against the mesh. 

Do not use too much force – be gentle. Sometimes, gently blowing on her will help to get her to turn over if needed. There is also a one-handed queen marking tube on the market to consider. I have not tried them.

Mark the Queen

Now, mark her with your queen pen marker or paint. Test the marker on something else first – you don’t want a big glob to come out.

Allow the paint to dry for a minute or 2. If you did get a bit too much paint on her – it is usually best to just leave things alone and hope for the best.

Trying to clean it off may only damage her further. Check back in a few weeks to make sure the bees did not kill the queen and replace her. They do sometimes if they think something is wrong with her.

Return Marked Queen to Hive

Release the queen back into the hive. I generally put all the frames back in the box and release her near the open space between two frames. She will likely crawl down into the dark area to hide.

Why do Beekeepers Mark Queens?

You will find that beekeeper opinions on queen marking vary from one person to another. But, most hobby or small-scale beekeepers enjoy the benefits of having a marked queen. It enables you to:

• track her age
• easier to locate in the hive
• faster hive inspections
• know she has been replaced

By using the color chart, you can tell how old she is. If you have an older queen, you know the chances of her failing are greater. Knowing her age allows the you to plan – would you expect to need a new queen this season?

You can also conduct hive inspections faster. Once you know where the she is – her frame can be kept in a safe place. She is less likely to be crushed during a hive inspection if you know her location.

If you see an unmarked queen in a hive that you know had a marked one, the colony has most likely replaced her. Maybe the bees swarmed? If so, this is good information to know.

Best Time to Mark Your Queen Bees

If you bought a bee package with an unmarked queen, the best time to mark her is within the first month. 

You can mark her during installation of the bee package – and I have done this before. However, it is best to wait a couple of weeks. Let the colony bees get to know her – without a big dot on her back.

It is fine to let the small colony adjust for a few weeks. You don’t need to do this during the first hive inspection after installing bees – just before the population grows too large to find her.

Once she is accepted and laying eggs-she can be marked while the colony is still small. When I am requeening a hive, I like to give the bees a few weeks to accept her before marking.

Safety Tips

• minimize handling time – don’t hold the queen any longer than necessary – get her back in the hive
• some beekeepers use a queen catcher or clip (doesn’t work well for me but you should try it)
• use the right paint – non-toxic
• you only need a small dot of color
• let the paint dry a minute before carefully placing the queen bee back in the hive

FAQs