How to mark and clip a queen bee?
Queen marking and clipping are optional management techniques used during hive inspections. Marking places a colored paint dot on the queen's thorax for quick identification and age tracking. Clipping removes a small portion of one wing as a swarm management aid. Both require careful handling to avoid injuring the queen.
- Mark queens with color-coded pens4
Apply a small dot of non-toxic paint to the queen's thorax using a purpose-built queen marking pen. The international color code rotates on a 5-year cycle: white (years ending in 1 or 6), yellow (2 or 7), red (3 or 8), green (4 or 9), and blue (5 or 0). A marked queen is far easier to spot on a…
📌 commercial📌 best practice4/16/2025, 9:22:02 PM
🛠️ Queen marking pen, queen catcher or marking tube
- Use queen catchers and marking tubes for safe handling4
Queen catchers and marking tubes hold the queen safely during marking and clipping, reducing the risk of injury. A queen catcher (clip-style cage) lets you pick her up directly off the comb without touching her. A marking tube is a clear cylinder with a foam plunger that gently presses the queen…
📌 commercial4/16/2025, 9:22:02 PM
🛠️ Queen catcher (clip cage), marking tube, or hair roller cage
- Clip one wing to manage swarming3
Trim approximately one-third of one forewing using fine-tipped scissors while the queen is held steady. A clipped queen cannot fly, so if the colony swarms she will fall to the ground near the hive entrance rather than leading the swarm away. This gives the beekeeper time to intervene, recapture…
📌 commercial📌 best practice4/16/2025, 9:22:02 PM
🛠️ Queen clipping scissors or fine-tipped scissors, queen catcher or marking tube