Marking on queen in nuc

[WellingtonFarm]

Last year after we got a couple nucs I took some pictures during an inspection. I didn't really look at them again until now and when I was digging through them I noticed the marking on one of the queens. Looks to me like the 2016 mark was put over an older 2015 mark that had mostly worn off. I guess a more generous interpretation would be that maybe he made a mistake with what colour to apply and tried to fix it. Both hives have overwintered well so I'm not really upset about it, I'm just interested to see how others would interpret finding this.

[Jen]

Very interesting to be sure. It looks to me like the original color was blue, then covered in white...

Like you say, if it doesn't bother you, then that's fine  At least you can still spot her quickly. Personally, I always mark my queens with a neon pink, that color Really stands out. I'm not concerned with how old she is unless she's slowing way down.

However, if you were guaranteed a new marked queen specifically for that year, and the breeders covered a two year old queen with dot with the following year... well that would seem like a jip to me... and I might not trust those queen breeders again.

Good eye Wfarm! My eyesight probably wouldn't have picked that up

[neillsayers]

GOOD EYE!

I wish I had you doing quality control back in my manufacturing days!

She looks like a dandy. If she lays well for you-fine. Only downside is her overall, lifetime production will be a year shorter.  I would remember this next time you want to order new queens.

I've got one that had remains of a white mark because that's all I had at the time. Just marked her blue the other day.

[Perry]

I would say your initial assumption was correct.

[WellingtonFarm]

Thanks folks! I'll just have to make sure I'm early enough ordering next time to get on Perry's list instead. 

[Lburou]

It seems safe to say there are two colors there, but the 'why' could be found in almost any explanation.

When visiting tecumseh's apiary, he showed me a valuable queen.  She was 5 years old.  The breeder that produced that queen wanted to buy her back to use her in his breeding program.  We need longer lived queens.  I'd be happy with an older queen in my apiary. 

[Wandering Man]

I'd be happy with an older queen in my apiary. 

And yet everyone has been telling me the last two weeks that you are supposed to re-queen every year.

I've just lost one queen, so I'll be replacing her.  But I may have a difficult time purposefully killing the other queen this Fall.

[Lburou]

I'd be happy with an older queen in my apiary. 

And yet everyone has been telling me the last two weeks that you are supposed to re-queen every year.

I've just lost one queen, so I'll be replacing her.  But I may have a difficult time purposefully killing the other queen this Fall.

You will have fewer swarms with a new queen.  A queen's second year will be her best laying year.  A lot of variables. 

[Jen]

Wfarm ~ I just went thru my two hives and it's time to make maybe 3 splits. I'll need some queens. So, during our bee group meeting, I asked the queen breeder if his queens were ready yet. He said not quite yet, but he did have some 'experienced queens' that he removed from some of this hives this year that he had not killed yet. He has a huge commercial apiary and requeens every one of his hives every year.

So, this means that the queens he will give me are 1 year old. They have also survived the winter. They have already developed a good laying pattern from last year. This second year they will be laying machines, and have a good chance of giving her hive maybe 5 more years.

Plus... I won't have to wait until the end of April to get a new queen installed. Another 3 weeks it will be too late, my hives will be swarming and that is what I'm trying to avoid.

[Perry]

I do not requeen anything unless there is a problem (drone layer). I let the bees decide when she needs to be replaced. It might result in a few lost hives over winter, but it makes no sense to me to replace something that ain't broke.

[Lburou]

..So, this means that the queens he will give me are 1 year old. They have also survived the winter. They have already developed a good laying pattern from last year. This second year they will be laying machines, and have a good chance of giving her hive maybe 5 more years...

Agreed!  Going into this year, my oldest queen had a green dot (2014).  She has disappeared though.

[Wandering Man]

Not every queen producer marks their queens according to schedule.  RWeaver uses random markers, for example.

[Lburou]

I do not requeen anything unless there is a problem (drone layer). I let the bees decide when she needs to be replaced. It might result in a few lost hives over winter, but it makes no sense to me to replace something that ain't broke.

I see wisdom in that philosophy Perry.  Here in Texas where you can have bees go mean on you (an Africanized bee takeover), I will change a queen when I can't see out of the veil while inspecting... 

[Perry]

I do not requeen anything unless there is a problem (drone layer). I let the bees decide when she needs to be replaced. It might result in a few lost hives over winter, but it makes no sense to me to replace something that ain't broke.

I see wisdom in that philosophy Perry.  Here in Texas where you can have bees go mean on you (an Africanized bee takeover), I will change a queen when I can't see out of the veil while inspecting... 

Uh, yeah, I think that would about do it for me as well.

[riverbee]

"Looks to me like the 2016 mark was put over an older 2015 mark that had mostly worn off."

like lee said hard to say why there are two marks, but, it's not that the paint WEARS off, the bees will try to remove the paint themselves and it appears as if they are working on the white mark........ (hygenic behavior)