colored hives?

[tedh]

Hi Everyone,
Last summer we had a heck of a time requeening hives with a frame of eggs and small larva.  They built queen cells, capped them off and then...nothing.  We'd add another frame, they'd build queen cells, cap them off then...nothing.  We had a few colonies that were queenless most of the summer.  Our thoughts were, the virgin queens got ate on their mating flights, or they came back to the wrong hive.  We have /had 4 hives per out yard on one hive stand, all facing the same direction, all painted white, seperated by about 2 feet.  We can't do anything about the queens that may be getting eaten but wondered if we could try and avoid the queens that may be getting lost.
  We are thinking about painting the landing areas and telecovers differant colors.  We'd have one hive all white, one hive (bottom board and telecover) light blue, one hive (bottom board and telecover) light red (pink), and one hive (bottom board and telecover) light yellow.  Do you think this will help or is it going to be a waste of time, effort and paint?  Thanks, Ted

[Bakersdozen]

We know bees can see some colors and ultraviolet light.  I have been told, by an entomology grad student, that they can recognize faces.  I believe this grad student said they can also see geometric shapes.  That being said, what harm would it do to take black electrical tape and make a triangle or square on the front of the hive?  It could be a science experiment. 

[tedh]

I'd heard about the geometric shapes and considered it but I do like the idea of electrical tape.  I wonder if it would stay in place, once put on.  We were thinking about the colors because we need to paint the componets mentioned.  Thanks Bakersdozen!  Ted

[tedh]

Hmmmm. I just read that honey bees can't see red.  Maybe a mixture o f colors AND shapes?  Maybe scrap the idea and orient the hive entrances towards differant directions?  That would involve changing the hive stand somewhat.  Ted

[Jacobs]

Blue painters tape and green painters tape has worked for me.  I can put different colors and different patterns on the hives/nucs trying to make a queen.  I like the painters tape because it goes on easily, comes off easily and does not leave a glue residue.

[tedh]

I like that idea!  The tape would only need to stay on for a finite period of time.  Good call!   Ted

[efmesch]

I'll start with the bottom line: There's nothing wrong with adding colors or designs to your hives with the hope that they will make it easier for the returning, mated queens to find the right door to enter.  Some people like the variety and it adds personality to the apiary. 

BUT, four hives, even placed closely together can't really be considered a challenge for the navigational abilties of queens.  If you'll search through the literature on queen raising, you will probably find a few pictures with several rows of twenty or more mating hives in  solid straight white lines waiting for their queens to come home---and they do it successfully. 

Which brings me back to the cause of not finding the queens in the hives.  One possibility is, as you mentioned, predation of the queens by birds (or other flying predators--like wasps).  Other possible causes for the loss of the queens could range from impatiently checking the hive too soon, or careless manipulation of the hives (no insult intended--sometimes it happens to all of us). 

There are other possible causes, but that would get too windy for a simple answer.

So I return to the bottom line---there's little to be gained, but nothing to be lost by marking the hives, and it just might make you feel more confident when you get to raising your queens this coming year.

I wish you success this time.

[tedh]

Thank you Ef, that was very well said.  Ted