I painted her head

[Dunkel]

Yep wondering man that's how I expect it to go   Oh well that's what I have, we will see. I'm curious to see how long it will last.  The only  other ones I've tried, I bought them marked and they didn't last long.

[yes2matt]

I'm getting ready mark some for the first time, I'm not sure I am looking forward to it after this.

I bought one of those fancy Chinese marking pens.  The first time I used it, I didn't realize you have to push down on the nib to prime the marker.

The second time I used it, I didn't realize you really do have to wait several minutes before putting her back in the hive.  Her attendants made quick work of the marking, and left her nicely cleaned up within seconds.

The third time I used it, I didn't realize that she would wipe away most of the marking on her own before the liquid dried.

The next time I use it ... well, I think I'll just go out and buy a bottle of Testor's paint.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/1191TT-Sunflower-1-4-oz/39759286?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227027505566&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=54707122031&wl4=aud-310687322322:pla-90039494231&wl5=9027925&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=39759286&wl13=&veh=sem

Thanks for posting this, it makes me feel better.

[Lburou]

Don't worry about that bit of paint...It is dark in there anyway.   

[Jen]

Dunkel, have you tried marking your queen yet? because you can practice on drones, just use a different color. I practiced a lot last year.

Wman, after using any paint on your queens slip her into queen cage and let her dry for a few minutes,I use the wooden cages. Be sure to put her in the shade to dry, she can fry in a minute or two... don't ask me how I know that. Then when you're ready to put her back in the hive, lift the metal netting with a pen knife and let her crawl out and slip into the frames.

[Dunkel]

No I haven't Jen.  I had some business to do and some Nucs to bring home. Plus after reading this I wasn't in a big hurry   I may try one though in a little while I have a couple nucs to hive up.

[Jen]

I watched a lot of youtube on marking queens, good instruction there. This is Fat Bee Man, I find him pretty basic to follow. You will learn how to put your freshly marked queen into a queen cage by 'goosing her in the butt'  and letting her dry.

2 vids on this roll of film

[Dunkel]

I'm big on an occasional goose   Thanks Jen for the links.  I've watched a few but I don't think I saw those. Do you find the paint lasts awhile on your queens?

[Jen]

With the Pasca paints, the paint has lasted all last summer, winter, and still good this summer. What is promoted about Pasca on queens is that it's completing odorless so the nurse bees are not alarmed with it, and dries n 5 minutes or less. That's why you goose her into a queen cage for a few minutes 


The paint pens that Wmart sells, it took too long for the paint to dry.

[Dunkel]

I think that's the one I got,  I'll check to make sure.  I got the yellow, but should have went with another color, seems like it would be hard to find compared to other colors in the hive.  But anything will help with some of these chocolate queens, they are impossible at times.  I can be looking at them and they disappear.  Glad to hear they may last until next spring.

[Lburou]

FWIW, I have a queen with a green dot (three years old) from a testor's marking pen.

[Dunkel]

Lee do you know if it was a particular formulation, like the old school enamel?

[Lburou]

Lee do you know if it was a particular formulation, like the old school enamel?

This is the marker used three years ago.  This is the paint I'm using now.  I prefer the bottle.  HTH   

[Dunkel]

Thanks, I'm seeing an experiment in the making   I love a good July project, It may make a good scientific method introduction for my students. 

[riverbee]

"Vid says it all. Do you think it will be ok? Or might they supersede her?  I moved a frame of her eggs n larvae to a queenless nuc just in case.
Mods feel free to move this to the "worst mistakes " thread if it is appropriate :/"

"Verdict is in: they superseded her."

yes2matt,  great video, loved the chickens in the background!
i am wondering, looking at your vid, if you got paint on her eyes?  dunno, and don't have an answer as to why she was superseded. she was a pretty queen.......... what i also noticed was she wasn't very adept at finding an open cell to plant her butt in ?
 
(just a suggestion about the vertical video.........maybe next time turn your phone horizontal and take video, rather than vertical ~  )

btw, us mods are working on a 'worst mistakes thread'...............

[CBT]

Like Jen said get an off color and practice on drones.

[Lburou]

Verdict is in: they superseded her.

I look at supersedure as getting a new queen under the most desirable conditions.  First, the bees make just a few queen cells and give them optimal attention.  This extra care produces the best queen possible from that group of bees.  A better nourished queen will have more ovarioles in her abdomen which gives her more egg laying potential than a queen reared in other-than-optimal conditions.  Then, the bees will usually wait until the new queen is mated and laying well before offing the old queen.  This allows uninterrupted egg laying and optimal brood nest population for the transition to their new queen.  Supersedure isn't a bad thing in my view. 

[Jen]

Great bit of learning info there Lee, sure appreciate your inputs 

[LazyBkpr]

Verdict is in: they superseded her.

I look at supersedure as getting a new queen under the most desirable conditions.  First, the bees make just a few queen cells and give them optimal attention.  This extra care produces the best queen possible from that group of bees.  A better nourished queen will have more ovarioles in her abdomen which gives her more egg laying potential than a queen reared in other-than-optimal conditions.  Then, the bees will usually wait until the new queen is mated and laying well before offing the old queen.  This allows uninterrupted egg laying and optimal brood nest population for the transition to their new queen.  Supersedure isn't a bad thing in my view. 

  Agreed, and occasionally you will find the old queen and new queen laying in the same hive...  Never have figured out how that works, but have witnessed it multiple times.

[rober]

I have some paint markers that I've used on bridge & millwright lobs for marking steel. they are similar to the posca pens. they come in white, yellow, & black. I did mark some queens with them but worried that being oil base they could injure the queen so I got some of the posca pens. the oil base pens also take longer to dry.I use one of those queen marking tubes with the foam padded plunger & just her leave in there to dry. I use the tube as I'm not comfortable handling queens yet. I'm afraid I might injure them. I'm thinking about getting a queen muff. I have had 2 queens fly off when trying to mark them. I also found that if you pull the tip out of the marker, soak it in water, wash the paint out, & let dry it won't be clogged with paint the next time you need it. you can do the same thing with oil base markers by soaking the tips in paint or lacquer thinner.

[Jen]

Cool! So how did you like using the Posca's? and were you able to get the mark you wanted on the queen?