How old is she? 👸 Look for the clue 🟡
I rarely find marked queens less than 1% of the time. That’s probably because people seldom mark their queens in our region.
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Is a marked queen easier to find? Not necessarily. However, the real value of marking queens lies in the practical benefits it offers. It allows me to easily determine her age and to identify when a new queen has taken over the hive, indicating that the old queen has either left with a swarm or been superseded.
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There is an internationally recognised colour scheme for marking queens.
Green for years ending in 4 and 9,
Blue for years ending in 0 and 5
White for years ending in 1 and 6
Yellow for years ending in 2 and 7
Red for years ending in 3 and 8
There’s the clue!
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© Hinterland Bees