Another thing you may be able to do to make finding the queen easier is to choose the time carefully. Don't choose to look on a heavily overcast day or in the evening, when most of the foragers are at home, particularly in high summer when the population is near maximum! I always mark my queens so that when I do need to find one later it is easy. If any overwinter unmarked I try to mark them as soon as the weather is warm enough to open up the hives again. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 4104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : [log in to unmask] ------------------------------------------------------------------------