Posca Queen Bee Marking Pen
The Posca queen bee marking pen gives beekeepers a quick, non-toxic way to mark a queen and track her age at a glance — a small dot on her thorax tells you all season which queen you’re looking at and what year she came from.
Features
- Five international queen-marking colors: white, blue, green, yellow, and red
- Water-based, non-toxic paint — safe around bees
- Fine tip for a clean, controlled dot on the thorax
- Pocket-sized barrel with a clip cap that fastens to clothing
- Follows the standard international color code by birth year
How to mark your queen
Lift the frame holding the queen and either keep it in one hand or rest it on your hive lid. Steady the queen — a queen marking tube makes this easier — then place a small spot of paint on her thorax and let it dry before releasing her. Want to see it done first? Watch this short marking demonstration.
Queen marking color by year
The color is set by the last digit of the year the queen was born. Queens rarely live past five years, so the code repeats on a five-year cycle:
- Year ending 1 or 6 — White
- Year ending 2 or 7 — Yellow
- Year ending 3 or 8 — Red
- Year ending 4 or 9 — Green
- Year ending 0 or 5 — Blue
Before you order
- Choose your color from the dropdown: white, blue, green, yellow, or red.
- What’s included: one Posca marking pen in the color you select.
- Tip: match the color to the queen’s birth year using the chart above, so the mark doubles as an age record.
Pairs Well With
Specifications
- Colors: white, blue, green, yellow, red (sold individually)
- Paint: water-based, non-toxic
- Pen length: approx. 5.5 in
FAQ
What color should I use this year?
Match the last digit of the queen’s birth year to the chart above — for example, a queen from a year ending in 4 or 9 is marked green.
Is the paint safe for the queen?
Yes — it’s a water-based, non-toxic paint. Use a small dot on the thorax and let it dry before returning her to the hive.
Do I need a marking tube?
No, but a queen marking tube holds her still and makes a clean mark much easier, especially if you’re new to marking.
