In beekeeping, the international queen-marking color system is a standardized code that allows a beekeeper to instantly identify the year a queen was hatched. By placing a small, color-coded dot of paint on the queen's thorax, beekeepers can determine her age at a glance, which is a critical piece of data for managing the health and productivity of the colony.
The purpose of the color system extends far beyond simply dating the queen. It is a fundamental tool for efficient hive management, enabling quick assessments of a colony's status and guiding strategic decisions about the future of the hive.
The Core Function: Decoding the Queen's Age
The system is elegant in its simplicity. It operates on a five-year cycle, as a queen bee's productive lifespan is typically less than five years. Each color corresponds to the last digit of the year in which she was born or introduced to the hive.
The Five-Year Color Cycle
The sequence of colors is constant worldwide, ensuring a beekeeper anywhere can understand the age of a marked queen. The colors rotate through a five-year pattern.
The Mnemonic: "Will You Raise Good Bees"
To easily remember the order, beekeepers use the mnemonic "Will You Raise Good Bees" (W-Y-R-G-B).
- White (W): For years ending in 1 or 6
- Yellow (Y): For years ending in 2 or 7
- Red (R): For years ending in 3 or 8
- Green (G): For years ending in 4 or 9
- Blue (B): For years ending in 5 or 0
A queen with a red dot, for example, was born in a year ending in 3 or 8 (e.g., 2023 or 2018). Given a queen's lifespan, a beekeeper can confidently deduce her exact age.
Why a Marked Queen Is a Better-Managed Queen
Knowing a queen's age is foundational, but the true purpose of marking is operational. It makes managing the colony significantly more effective and data-driven.
Efficiency During Hive Inspections
A hive can contain over 50,000 bees. Finding one specific bee—the queen—can be a slow and disruptive process. A brightly colored dot on her back makes her instantly visible, dramatically reducing the time an inspector needs to have the hive open.
This speed is not just for convenience. Shorter inspections mean less stress on the colony and a lower risk of chilling the brood.
Protecting the Queen During Management
Many beekeeping tasks involve moving frames of bees and brood. Knowing the queen's exact location is critical to avoid accidentally rolling, crushing, or dropping her—an event that could devastate the colony. A marked queen is a protected queen.
Diagnosing Colony Events at a Glance
The mark provides a clear historical record. If you inspected a hive last month and saw your queen with a green dot (from a year ending in 4 or 9), but this month you find an unmarked queen, you have crucial information.
This tells you the original queen is gone and the colony has requeened itself, likely through swarming or supersedure. You now know you have a new, young queen of unknown genetic origin, which changes your management strategy completely.
Understanding the Trade-offs and Considerations
While highly beneficial, the practice of marking a queen is not without its nuances and minor risks. A complete understanding requires acknowledging these factors.
The Risk of the Marking Process
Catching and holding a queen to mark her requires a steady hand and a gentle touch. There is a small but real risk of damaging or stressing her during the process, which could lead to her rejection by the colony.
When the Mark Fades or is Removed
The paint used for marking is designed to be durable, but it can occasionally wear off over time. In some instances, the worker bees may even attempt to clean the foreign substance off their queen, removing the mark.
An Unmarked Queen is Not a Failure
Beekeepers may acquire colonies with unmarked queens or witness a successful supersedure that results in a new, unmarked queen. The absence of a mark is simply a data point indicating an unknown age, prompting the beekeeper to assess her performance based on brood pattern and colony temperament.
How This System Guides Your Beekeeping Strategy
Applying the color system is about turning data into action. The color you see—or don't see—should inform your goals for that colony.
- If your primary focus is peak honey production: Use the color to track your queen's age and plan to replace her after her second year, as a young queen's prolific egg-laying fuels a larger workforce.
- If your primary focus is colony health and genetics: Track the age of a queen with desirable traits (gentleness, disease resistance) to know when you should graft from her to raise daughter queens before she begins to fail.
- If your primary focus is simple, time-efficient management: A marked queen makes every hive inspection faster, safer, and less stressful for both you and the bees.
Ultimately, this simple color code transforms your queen from an anonymous insect into a known asset, enabling more strategic and successful beekeeping.
Summary Table:
| Color | Year Ending In | Mnemonic (W-Y-R-G-B) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1 or 6 | Will |
| Yellow | 2 or 7 | You |
| Red | 3 or 8 | Raise |
| Green | 4 or 9 | Good |
| Blue | 5 or 0 | Bees |
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