Numbering queens

[gavin]

OK folks, I have a packet of little discs with unfeasibly small numbers on them, and a tube of glue. Plus failing eyesight to read them. It is time to get serious about queen breeding. How to combine queen, glue and numbered disc?

Somewhere I'm sure I've seen a matchstick used to apply glue to the thorax in advance of transferring the numbered disc. Dave Cushman seems to favour a thin tube to use suction to hold the disc (http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/clipmark.html) until the crucial moment. Cannae be bothered with that faff. What about two matchsticks, one to apply glue and a second moistened one to momentarily hold the disc as it is transferred to the queen? Any other ideas?

Incidentally, DC adds to the scent on the fingers debate at the link above.

PS In this case I'm all for using the plunger cage to hold the queen. I'd be bound to drop her whilst looking for all the right bits and pieces.

[drumgerry]

Gavin - the only place I've seen the use of those little discs demo'd is in an II video where they're applied and the queen's wing clipped whilst she's still anaesthetised. Does anyone use them in the ordinary course of queen breeding? I have a supply and will use them once I get going with my II kit.

[gavin]

I can see advantages in marking and numbering queens rather than boxes (or stances in the case of our association apiary).

Margie in Wester Ross uses them. Guess I could ask her. Or maybe it is in that book I have tucked away somewhere? See the Wester Ross and Sutherland presentation here: http://www.sbai.org.uk/Breeding/

G.

[fatshark]

Gavin it's no problem combining glue, numbered disk and queen. The problem is either getting the queen to ever move again, or to get her or the disk off the end of your finger.

When I last tried I used superglue and attached the disk to the end of a matchstick using some warmed wax ... just sticky enough to hold it in place. This was in a plunger cage. I think the cage, queen, disk, match and my gloves are still all connected ...

This is a job for fingers I feel.

I have the kit but not the glue that came with it. I'll try again with again in a week or so.

[Dark Bee]

I can see advantages in marking and numbering queens rather than boxes (or stances in the case of our association apiary).

Margie in Wester Ross uses them. Guess I could ask her. Or maybe it is in that book I have tucked away somewhere? See the Wester Ross and Sutherland presentation here: http://www.sbai.org.uk/Breeding/

G.

Instrumentally inseminated bees are usually identified with these disks. Much effort, skill and the use of expensive equipment is involved in the production of i.i. queens. This coupled with the technique being often used to ensure that drones of a colony with desired characteristics are mated with a queen of another colony which also has desirable but different characteristics, make it advisable to monitor the queens progress.
The disks are numbered and also come in different colours, the glue was a problem in that it did not stick for long, this has allegedly been resolved. Why not practice tagging drones with yellow high end numbers - they are unlikely to be ever used.

[gavin]

Lol! Thanks all. Yes FS, that sort of outcome was the one I feared. I was poised ready to go with ESBA1 the other day, but decided to abort the mission as I hadn't a clue how I was going to achieve the task. May sacrifice a couple of drones, the gingery ones obviously, but drones are drones and queens are different. Would be good to see how fast the glue works and whether a wetted match end can hold a disc long enough to transfer to a thorax.

Buzzybeeshop sells the glue alone if I remember right.

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[The Drone Ranger]

Before the posca pens and water based marking it was humbrol model paint on a match
That stayed put :)
I wouldn't chance superglue on the old girl
Maybe a dab of acrylic paint then the disc with plenty drying time would work ?