Queen Marking

Queen marking pens and paints, plunger cages, marking cages for use on the comb and numbered discs. Choose a colour spot for visibility or individual identification to track each queen in your records.

Sort by:
Sales, highest to lowest Relevance Name, A to Z Name, Z to A Price, low to high Price, high to low Reference, A to Z Reference, Z to A

Queen Marking Paint

starstarstarstarstar_half
18 reviews

Push In Queen Marking Cage

starstarstarstar_halfstar_border
6 reviews
Back to top
Trustpilot
Joshua Ivars
Joshua Ivars
With over 15 years of experience in beekeeping, Joshua collaborates with the national beekeeping congress as part of the scientific committee in the area of innovation and sustainability.

My advice for identifying your queens

For a small apiary, I would prioritise a marking pen you can handle confidently and a record for each hive. The record matters more than a striking mark. Note each queen change too, otherwise you may credit the new queen with the previous queen’s performance.

For breeder queens or comparisons between sisters, I would choose numbered identification and individual records. Set out the marking equipment before looking for the queen. Having the applicator, paint and a place for drying ready helps reduce handling and avoids improvising while you hold her.

Discover in our blog
Supersedure: when bees replace their queen

Supersedure: when bees replace their queen

Supersedure is the colony’s natural replacement of its queen: the workers rear a new queen without dividing the colony by swarming. Changes in the queen’s chemical signals can play a part,...

Read more
Honey bee types: subspecies, local bees and breeding stocks

Honey bee types: subspecies, local bees and breeding stocks

Apis mellifera, the western honey bee, is the species most widely kept in modern beekeeping. Other honey bee species include Apis cerana, Apis dorsata and Apis florea. Italian, Carniolan and Iberian h...

Read more
Queen rearing: a step-by-step guide to get started

Queen rearing: a step-by-step guide to get started

Queen rearing allows for the replacement of ageing queens, the production of mating nuclei and the selection of colonies with useful traits for the apiary. The principle is simple: provide very young ...

Read more
Introducing a mated queen: a practical requeening guide

Introducing a mated queen: a practical requeening guide

Requeening a production colony can improve its performance, but success depends on the queen, the receiving colony and careful introduction. The practical sequence is to confirm that a healthy replace...

Read more
How to find the queen bee—and when you do not need to

How to find the queen bee—and when you do not need to

Before searching for the queen, ask yourself why. For a routine check of a normally developing colony, you do not usually need to see her: eggs and a normal worker-brood pattern are useful signs of re...

Read more
Queen cells: emergency, supersedure or swarming?

Queen cells: emergency, supersedure or swarming?

Table of contentsToggleIdentifying the different types of queen cellsEmergency queen cellsSupersedure cellsSwarm cellsNatural queen supersedure: good or bad?Identifying the different types of queen ce...

Read more
Queen Marking Tools - All you need to mark your bee queen

Queen Marking

A colour spot or an individual number

POSCA pens and queen marking paints place a visible spot on the thorax. Numbered discs add individual identification: check the adhesive and applicator required by your chosen system. Different discs may need different applicators.

Holding the queen

A plunger marking cage holds her inside a tube, gently bringing her towards the mesh. A marking cage used on the frame contains her directly on the comb. Choose the method that gives you better control of pressure, keeping legs, wings and abdomen clear of trapping points.

The five-colour code

The colour represents the year the queen was reared and repeats every five years:

  • White: years ending in 1 or 6.
  • Yellow: 2 or 7.
  • Red: 3 or 8.
  • Green: 4 or 9.
  • Blue: 5 or 0.

Record the full year, origin and introduction date. If her year of emergence is unknown, record that uncertainty: applying a colour cannot resolve it or determine when she should be replaced.

Prepare, mark and allow to dry

Test the pen’s flow away from the hive before bringing it near the queen. Apply a small amount of suitable marking paint to the top of the thorax, avoiding the head, wings and abdomen. Allow it to dry before returning her and watch the workers’ response. For discs, follow the adhesive instructions.

Complete your equipment in queen rearing, or browse live bees and queens.