Seaching the archives and in reference to some posts written in the past it is very much unclear to me that sometimes it is ok and other times hazardous (balling danger) to finger pick-up an existing queen (egg-laying or not yet), paint mark it, clip its wings and then release it in her colony. Is there someone that could explain the fundamentals? References: 1. Kerry Clark - 27 January 1995 - item oo3717 2. Jean-Pierre Chapleau - 28 January 1995 - item 003725 3. Jean-Pierre Chapleau - 01 October 1995 - item 006088 4. Tom Elliott - 25 april 1999 - item 027300 5. James C. Bach - 26 April 1999 - item 027312 6. Steve Newcomb - 26 April 1999 - 027316 Interesting to note thaat JCB refers to marking more than one queen consecutively ...you must wash your fingers with alcohol between picking up queens. I have doubts that beekeepers carry alcohol and do do it in reality...or maybe some do ?! Please help me to clarify. Tks Vital Gaudreau Sainte. Therese, Quebec