This is the reason you mark your queens.
- MGeslock
- Apr 23, 2025
- 1 min read
I collected a swarm in my yard. I knew that I had to be mine.
How marking queens helps manage your colonies
Marking queens allows beekeepers to quickly confirm that the same queen is still present in the hive during inspections. This reduces stress on the colony, shortens inspection time, and helps prevent accidentally injuring the queen while searching for her.
It also helps identify when a hive has requeened itself naturally, which is especially important after a swarm or during periods of heavy nectar flow.
What color should you mark your queen?
Many beekeepers follow an international color system that rotates by year.Using a consistent color makes it easier to identify a queen’s age at a glance and track performance from season to season.
Look what I found
I feel that it is very important that you mark you queens. It helps you with lots of things.
It is easy to spot her when you are working a hive. It also helps with her age. If you know that she is marked and you don't see her, you know that they may have swarmed or have been superseded.
