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Queen Marking Colors
Overview
Queens are often marked on the dorsal side of their thorax to indicate the year they were born. The colors to use are standardized and shown in the table below.
|
Year Ending |
Color |
|
1 or 6 |
White |
|
2 or 7 |
Yellow |
|
3 or 8 |
Red |
|
4 or 9 |
Green |
|
5 or 0 |
Blue |
The mnemonic to remember these is:
- Will You Raise Good Bees
Additional Notes
Some advise not spending the effort to mark a queen, especially as handling her could damage her in ways where the hive might reject her. It does make her much easier to find though.
More Information
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Disclaimer: eMail comments to me at BeekeepingBoK @ Gmail.com. The process of beekeeping can cause injury or be a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken, including the wearing of appropriate protective equipment. |