A bright colour ink is often used to mark a queen so that she can be easily seen and identified within the hive. A simple kit comprising a perspex bottle with ‘queen excluder’ type bottom and a soft sponge plunger is used to capture and separate the queen from other bees inadvertently captured as well.
The plunger is then used to press the queen against the groves on the bottle bottom where she can be marked with a special pen.
These cells contain barely visible eggs.