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Date: | Fri, 27 Jan 1995 13:49:00 GMT+2 |
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Hi from Serfrica ('scuse the eksent)
> Hi from Houston!
> Such a warm day yesterday (75) I thought I'd have a look at the bees. In
> one of my hives my queen has her paint spot nearly rubbed off. How does
> one safely remark them? And what kind of paint can you use?
After the thread on excessive cruelty to queens I am almost scared
to reply :-) In SA there is a correcting fluid called Tippex, which
comes in a small range of pastel colours. It is packaged in a small
bottle with a brush in the lid (like nail varnish). We find it very
convenient for field-marking queens.
I am sure that it must be possible to introduce powder pigments into
white correcting fluid in the event that you need a wider range of
colours, but I have not yet needed to try this.
We use a transparent plastic cylinder (roughly 2 cm diameter) with a
soft net closure at one end. A piston is made from a piece of
sponge and a dowel. The open end of the cylinder is gently placed
over the queen. When she runs up the cylinder, the piston is
inserted, and she is _gently_ held against the net. This makes
marking quick and accurate (you don't inadvertently blind her). The
solvent seems to evaporate quickly enough for these markings not to
_seem_ to interfere with her behaviour or relationship with the
colony. From the relative permanence of these markings I infer that
they neither disturb her nor her attendants. I have certainly never
observed Tippex markings to cause trouble.
The cost, easy availability of both Tippex and the solvent, and its
convenience makes this a very useful option for us.
I hope this helps
Paul
Paul Magnuson [log in to unmask]
Honeybee Research Unit Plant Protection Res. Inst.
Agricultural Research Council. Private Bag X134
Tel. (012) 319 7113, Fax (012) 323 5275 Pretoria 0001 South Africa
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