Author Topic: Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens  (Read 1330 times)

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Offline Jen

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Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens
« on: May 10, 2020, 01:25:39 am »
I mark all of my queens with Posca paint, it's the paint sold by Mann Lake and Dadant. Some beekeepers mark their queens with Testors model paint.

Posca paint is acrylic. Testors is model paint and is solvent based.

What kind of paint do you put onto the thorax of your queens?
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline iddee

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Re: Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2020, 06:26:05 am »
NONE
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline RAST

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Re: Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2020, 09:18:15 am »
Never marked one either, though there have been times when i wished she was so I could hive tool test her.

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2020, 05:58:10 pm »
I have never marked a queen either.  I think I should, but never seem to have a pen with me at the time. 
I understand that University of Nebraska-Lincoln uses Craftsmart Paint Pen from Michael's Craft Store. I looked online, and there are multi packs that match the international color code, but they are fine line.  I also saw the UNL  uses purple when they find a queen of uncertain age.

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2020, 12:23:23 am »
 When I first started I thought it was a great idea. I bought all the colors in Testor paints. I practiced on drones and got pretty good at it. Then I marked all my queens. I was keeping Russians at the time and most of the queens were quite dark and hard to spot. After a while I decided all I really needed to see when I was in the hive was eggs, pollen and any queen cells in the making. That and an estimate of population and I'm out of there. Oh, I try to always take a deep sniff for any "off" odors.
 The only time I get serious about finding the queen is when I decide to pinch her head off. Paint might help with that, I guess. :)
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Offline iddee

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Re: Kinds Of Paint For Marking Queens
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2020, 07:04:21 am »
To modify Neill's approach, I only look for the queen when I want to remove her, or remove bees and NOT get her. It may be to pinch her, or just to move her, or to be sure she stays when I remove frames and/or bees. Other than that, I agree. Eggs and pollen and other supplies are enough to see.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein