How to identify the queen bee in a honey bee colony

The queen bee is the leader of the honey bee colony and the mother of most (if not all) worker bees and drones. A healthy queen bee is crucial for maintaining a thriving hive; when the queen gets old or dies, the colony will perish unless a new queen is found. Beekeepers must learn to distinguish the queen from other bees and mark her once identified. Learn to identify and mark the queen by observing differences in behavior, location, and physical features.

Find the largest bee. The queen honey bee is almost always the largest bee in the colony. Sometimes drones may be as large or even larger than the queen, but they can be distinguished by their thicker bodies. The queen will be longer and slimmer compared to the others.

Notice the pointed abdomen. The queen bee's abdomen is the lower part of her body, near the stinger. While worker bees have a rounded abdomen, the queen's will be more pointed. This is an easy way to distinguish the queen.

Look for the bee with outstretched legs. The legs of worker bees and drones are tucked neatly underneath their bodies – from above, their legs are hard to spot. The queen bee, however, has legs that stretch outward, making them more visible.

Pay attention to the queen's smooth stinger. Each honey bee colony has only one queen. If you spot two bees that could be the queen, gently hold each bee by the thorax (middle part of the body) and lift them carefully. Use a magnifying glass to inspect their stingers. Worker bees, drones, and un-mated queens have barbed stingers. The queen's stinger is smooth and lacks barbs.

Locate the larvae. Gently lift each frame of the hive to search for larvae. Bee larvae resemble white maggots and are typically found piled together. Since the queen lays eggs in the hive, she is likely to be nearby.

• Be extra cautious when handling the frames to avoid accidentally harming the queen.

Check hidden areas. The queen bee will never cling to the outer edges of the hive or venture outside. She is usually found deep within the hive, away from external disturbances. If you have a vertical hive, the queen is likely located on one of the frames at the bottom. In a horizontal hive, the queen is typically found in the middle.

Observe unusual activity in the hive. The queen may move around within the hive. If you notice unusual behavior, such as bees clustering together or larvae in uncommon places, the queen is likely nearby.

Watch for bees moving aside. Worker bees and drones will often move aside to clear a path for the queen. Once she passes, they will return to their original spots. Pay attention when you see bees stepping aside.

Look for a bee that isn’t working. The queen is tended to by the colony and has no other duties than laying eggs. Watch for a bee that seems to have no specific task. It might be the queen.

Check if the bees are feeding a special bee. The entire colony will attend to the needs of the queen. Watch which bees are tending to and feeding a particular bee. While it may not be the queen, but rather an un-mated queen or a young bee, it’s highly likely that it is the queen.

Choose the right paint color. Beekeepers use specific colors to identify queens born in certain years. This helps you quickly locate the queen and determine when the hive might need a new queen. Make sure to pick the correct color before marking the queen.

• Acrylic paint is suitable for this purpose. Many beekeepers use specialized pens or paintbrushes.
• White is used to mark queens born in years ending in 1 or 6.
• Yellow is used for years ending in 2 or 7.
• Red is used for years ending in 3 or 8.
• Green is used for years ending in 4 or 9.
• Blue is used for years ending in 5 or 0.

Prepare the paint for marking. Bees can become agitated, or even injured, if held for too long. Therefore, ensure the paint is ready before catching the queen. Pre-soak a brush or paint pen and have it ready in your hand or placed next to the hive on a small table.

Hold the queen’s wings or thorax and lift gently. Carefully grasp the queen’s wings or thorax and lift her up. You must be extremely gentle when handling the queen; if she struggles, you might accidentally tear her wings or harm her.

• Some beekeepers sell marking kits that allow you to trap the queen in a small plastic box while marking her, but this is not a necessary tool.

Hold the queen above the hive. If you accidentally drop the queen, you’ll want her to fall back into the hive rather than onto the grass or your bee suit. Keep the queen above the hive at all times while handling her.

Apply a small dot of paint on the queen’s thorax. Place a small drop of paint directly on the queen’s thorax, between her two front legs. Use just enough paint for it to be visible, but not so much that it sticks to her wings or legs as it dries.

Trim the queen’s wing tips (optional). Some beekeepers prefer marking the queen by trimming the tips of her wings rather than using paint. If you choose this method, gently hold the queen and use special beekeeping scissors to cut a quarter of the bottom of both wings.

• Inspect your hive regularly to ensure the queen is still present.
• Besides harvesting honey, consider also harvesting royal jelly as a supplement.

• Always wear protective clothing when working with bees.
• If marking the queen by trimming her wings, be sure to only trim the tips. Cutting too close may make the worker bees believe the queen is injured and could result in them killing her.