Queen Kit - Safety clip, plunger (clear) & pen combo

Why mark your queen?
* Find her highness easily
* Recreational: Record when last marked to know how old she is
Commercial: Colour coded for year by year (southern hemisphere seasons go over 2 different years eg 2025 to 2026, so choose which colour by year start or year end and keep records)
* Know you have had a swarm by finding an unmarked queen

Other reasons to use a marker inside a hive:
- Date hive components for 1st use of Varroa Mite treatments (dispose every 4 years by best practice)
- Record on outside immediate tasks needed for that hive and wipe (or it may wash) off once complete.

Are you unsure how to handle your queens but want her marked?
Well this is the answer;
Carefully direct the Queen into the plunger shaft and slowly insert the foam plunger.  Stand her upright with the shaft grill facing up. Slowly and carefully push the queen towards the grill without using too much force.  Have her thorax aligned with a hole in the grill then gently mark her with the queen marking pen.
Allow a few seconds for the paint to dry before releasing her back into the colony.  

A simple way to catch and mark your queens safely without damaging her in your fingers.

Marking paint pen colour varies. Add to NOTES if wanting a specific colour.

The Queen Stainless Clip is really handy to keep your Queen safe when doing inspections.  It has queen excluder size holes so the workers can still tend to her.  Also fantastic tool to have on hand with swarm collections.  Place the queen in the clip and place her into the new hive and watch all the other bees follow.  excellent addition to your tool kit