Marked Queen - Color question

[mgates61]

Hey All,

When I got my 2 packages this spring, the queens were both marked with white dots.  I was looking at the color marking chart and it shows white as a year ending in a 6.  Does this mean my queens are already 2 years old, or did the apiary just use white ?

thanks,


Mike

[KONASDAD]

you'll have to ask the supplier. Not everyone uses the correct year and color, although a retailer should.

[thomast55]

I got my bees April 5 and the queens were also marked with a white dot . They came from Mt.Vernan Georgia .

[Daddys Girl]

Thus far, I have received two blue dot queens and a red dot queen from the same supplier.

[IsleWx]

Mine had red dots on arrival.  Now they have none. :-\

What is the right color for this year?  I saw a chart someplace, but don't remember where.....

[Kathyp]

International Queen Marking Color Code:
Color: For Year Ending In: 
White (or gray)  1 or 6 
Yellow  2 or 7 
Red  3 or 8 
Green  4 or 9 
Blue  5 or 0 

[Two Bees]

2008 is RED.

[Michael Bush]

Many don't follow the rule.  I usually do, but I do violate it for special circumstances.  For instance, when I buy a package that comes with a queen I mark her in some future color that I don't think any of my queens are (like next year's color) because I plan to replace her with one of my queens.

Color chart:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#colors