Queen bees are the matriarch of any hive, although they don’t dictate the day-to-day of the hive,

their presence in a hive is paramount to the succession of the hive’s longevity. For decades

beekeepers have followed a pattern set by monarch Queen Elizabeth II of England through the 5

year-cycle of her designer outfits.

Whilst some beekeepers stick true to this colour

scheme others choose to not mark at all and others choose to mark to their own beat.

I remember being hesitant to mark my first queens in my early apiary days as I worried about the

health and well-being of each queen however as the number of hives have grown I’ve learnt the following

reasons as to why it can be beneficial to mark these elegant ladies:

Marking queens is 100% a personal choice and only you know what is best for your hive and your environment, I personally mark all my queens and have found that it assists me to manage them better and it has shortened brood inspection times. Believe in your journey and remember that regardless as to whether your mark or don’t mark, ensure that you are keeping true and correct records of your hive activities as it is a legal requirement for all QLD beekeepers (hobbyist and commercial)