Marking queens with discs best glue?

[iand]

I often find a tide mark ring left. Not a lot of help for spotting her but gives a clue to her age.

 

[midnight sun]

Well I emailed POSCA with the query regarding green marker not staying on the Queens. I explained the nature of the bees cuticle and explained that other markers of the same type do not appear to come off as easily. I did this twice and there was no reply. So, they either don't know or don't care. Eeither way not the best 'customer relations'!
As an add on. I remarked a Queen last week with green as well as marking two Queens blue for the first time. The blue stayed on but the green was gone again today, apart from a thin rim round the outer edge of the thorax. So the green really does seem to have some different quality to it than the rest of the colours in my opinion.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Well I emailed POSCA with the query regarding green marker not staying on the Queens. I explained the nature of the bees cuticle and explained that other markers of the same type do not appear to come off as easily. I did this twice and there was no reply. So, they either don't know or don't care. Eeither way not the best 'customer relations'!
As an add on. I remarked a Queen last week with green as well as marking two Queens blue for the first time. The blue stayed on but the green was gone again today, apart from a thin rim round the outer edge of the thorax. So the green really does seem to have some different quality to it than the rest of the colours in my opinion.

PO
POSCA do several type of green] light green, emerald green, apple green,metal green and green

which one fails to stay on

 

[midnight sun]

PO
POSCA do several type of green] light green, emerald green, apple green,metal green and green

which one fails to stay on

Just says "green". Got a pack of all colours from 'Honeypotts' suppliers.
Still if Posca was interested, you'd think they would have asked the question you did. No loss, 4 more years before I need to 'worry' about that problem again.

 

[Anduril]

Just says "green". Got a pack of all colours from 'Honeypotts' suppliers.
Still if Posca was interested, you'd think they would have asked the question you did. No loss, 4 more years before I need to 'worry' about that problem again.

Posca have a Twitter account. If you have one as well, you can tweet them. Bad publicity for the whole world to see. You should get a response that way, I have known of people complaining to companies this way about warranties and receiving responses within the hour. Worth a try.

 

[Stiffy]

Posca have a Twitter account. If you have one as well, you can tweet them. Bad publicity for the whole world to see. You should get a response that way, I have known of people complaining to companies this way about warranties and receiving responses within the hour. Worth a try.

Had trouble with a Hotel chains 'good nights sleep guarantee' after being bitten by bed bugs in one of their Hotels.
I complained to the Chain and couldn't get a response, went on Tripadvisor and they were on it the same day, like the rash on my arms and legs.
Shame I had to go along this route!
S

 

[midnight sun]

Posca have a Twitter account. If you have one as well, you can tweet them. Bad publicity for the whole world to see. You should get a response that way, I have known of people complaining to companies this way about warranties and receiving responses within the hour. Worth a try.

Thanks Anduril and Stiffy. To be honest I'm not overly bothered as I've mailed them to point out that their lack of response will be 'broadcast' beginning on here. The reason I contacted them in the first place was to try and find out the reason because other keepers on this forum seemed to have the same problem. Best just to use another colour (OR manufacturer).
Rebellious or what!? LOL

 

[BeeJayBee]

... I've mailed them to point out that their lack of response will be 'broadcast' beginning on here. The reason I contacted them in the first place was to try and find out the reason because other keepers on this forum seemed to have the same problem. Best just to use another colour (OR manufacturer).

To be fair, POSCA pens are an art product. They are water-based, and are only advertised as being permanent on a non-porous material such as glass.

The pens have not been designed and produced to be used for marking queen bees, although beekeepers have found them to be useful for marking queens.

 

[B+.]

Does anyone have any experience of this type of marking/bonding and what might they be using to bond the discs on with? cyanoacrylate (super glue) springs to mind but maybe this is a little toxic to something so small?

I was of the same opinion so tried superglue (see http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32518&page=5). You have to be extremely careful with it and, if you get any on the face of the plate, it will smudge the number.
I decided to persevere with the shellac and got used to it. You just have to make sure that the queen is completely immobile during the procedure. Some people hold the legs (but you could damage the glands in her feet) and others use a cage. Personally, I use a plunger-type marking cage. It does take practice but I recommend that you "stick with it". You just have to make sure the queen doesn't move while the glue dries ( a couple of mins).

 

[midnight sun]

To be fair, POSCA pens are an art product. They are water-based, and are only advertised as being permanent on a non-porous material such as glass.

The pens have not been designed and produced to be used for marking queen bees, although beekeepers have found them to be useful for marking queens.

Now if they had replied with those words or simply said they do not know, then that would have been a start!

 

[For want of a better word]

I was of the same opinion so tried superglue (see http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32518&page=5). You have to be extremely careful with it and, if you get any on the face of the plate, it will smudge the number.
I decided to persevere with the shellac and got used to it. You just have to make sure that the queen is completely immobile during the procedure. Some people hold the legs (but you could damage the glands in her feet) and others use a cage. Personally, I use a plunger-type marking cage. It does take practice but I recommend that you "stick with it". You just have to make sure the queen doesn't move while the glue dries ( a couple of mins).

Going back to shellac..... but who now sells it.

I have come to the decision that superglue and even the gell type is not fit for purpose for sticking the plates on.

Chons da

 

[masterBK]

When I used to glue the numbers on my queens (no bothered for last couple of decades) I used humbrol paint to glue them on because if the bees chewed the numbers off I could still find the queen as the paint spot remained.