How To Find A Queen Bee - Keeping Backyard Bees

Finding the queen bee in your hives can be challenging — even for veteran beekeepers. Some queens are plump and shine like a gold beacon on the frame, while others seem to have camouflage. Not only does your ability to find her depend on her size and color, but her behavior, too. Some queens flaunt themselves in the open, while others scurry to corners and hide. So, how can you hone your ability to find the queen?

Her Appearance

Most beekeepers can identify the queen by sight, but if you’re new, you may have trouble picking her out from the worker bees. The queen bee is larger, but more specifically, she is longer. Her lengthy abdomen extends out beyond the tip of her wings, giving her the appearance of having short wings. Her back, too, is different from that of most workers. She has a shiny, black hairless back, while workers tend to have fuzzy backs. Her legs are long and usually light in color, while worker bees tend to have dark legs.

Don’t Mark Her

 Although most say that marking the queen makes her easier to find, I would argue that it handicaps a new beekeeper’s ability to spot the queen. That bright dab of paint on her back becomes a crutch. A new beekeeper may become too reliant on using that to find the queen instead of truly learning the distinguishing features of a queen bee.

Inspection Techniques

When searching for the queen bee during an inspection, there are a couple of things you can do to increase your chances of finding her. First, go easy on the smoke. Too much smoke with drive your queen into hiding. Second, go straight to the brood nest. The queen is most likely to be on a frame with new eggs. Don’t waste time searching frames that are predominantly honey or capped brood.

 Practice

 Practice makes perfect, but when you’re a new beekeeper, your opportunities to search for queens are probably limited. You may only have one or two colonies and you don’t want to stress them by opening them too often. At most, you’ll have the chance to hunt your hive for a queen a couple of times a month.

So how can you improve your ability to find the queen without opening the hive? Play QueenSpotting! QueenSpotting is the name my Instagram followers chose for a game I have been playing through my social media accounts for the last several years. I post a photo of a lot of bees and challenge you to find the queen among them. It’s like Where’s Waldo, but bees. Not only is it fun, it’s useful. I often hear from beginning beekeepers who say the game has sharpened their ability to find the queen in real life.

So, how can you start playing? First, join my QueenSpotting email group and I will send you a new QueenSpotting photo each week.  This will ensure you get consistent practice right in your inbox. Click here to find out more. Then, follow me on Instagram where I often post new challenges or try searching the hashtag #queenspotting. Finally, check out my new book which includes 48 fold-out Queenspotting images, short stories from my bee adventures and even more practical tips for how to find your queens. Click here to find out more.

Since I first began playing QueenSpotting back in 2012, the game has grown tremendously and now beekeepers are sharing their own QueenSpotting photos using the hashtag. Join in on the fun! Can you find the queen bee?

Tags

• #keepingBackyardBees
• beekeeping like a girl
• beekeeping tips
• finding your queen
• girl nextdoor honey
• hilary kearney
• new beekeeper
• queen bee

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16 Comments

Chris Barnes says: January 17, 2019 at 4:21 pm

Nice idea – but for those of us that are colorblind, marking the queen is about the only hope I have.

I’ve been looking at your picture for 15 minutes; have been told where to look, and STILL haven’t found her.

Reply

lloyd moffitt says: January 17, 2019 at 7:45 pm

thanks for pix

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Jeff says: January 17, 2019 at 10:42 pm

Is that her just slightly right and higher than centre?

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Bob says: January 18, 2019 at 2:28 am

Photo is too small for my eyes. Needs to be life size

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Batesey says: January 20, 2019 at 3:56 am

OK; great game. Now where is the Queen?

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• Hilary Kearney says: January 22, 2019 at 11:33 pm

  Just slightly above and right of center.

  Reply

Maureen says: February 12, 2019 at 10:38 pm

I would like to be added to your queenspotting mailing list

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m landen says: March 28, 2019 at 12:19 pm

That’s her with the shiny black back, right? If so — a good thing to use if her long abdomen can’t be seen. I’m pretty sure that in lots of my inspections, she’s been covered under mounds of protective bees.

Reply

Brett says: November 7, 2019 at 3:29 pm

Is that her central upper half?

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Donna says: April 9, 2020 at 11:20 pm

Looks like queenspotting has a new site, but when I click on it, it’s not available.

?Thoughts.

I really like doing it and it has helped me alot!

Thanks.

Reply

Phil says: September 16, 2020 at 5:23 pm

Big black dot.

Reply

Anna says: September 16, 2020 at 11:50 pm

What are honey bees made out of What do honey bees look like ???…

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Leroy Platt says: June 12, 2021 at 12:21 am

I think I found her. About in the middle towards the top. Just got started this spring, I have 2 BeeMax hives. I just checked on them yesterday and I couldn’t find the Queen in either hive. I look forward to practicing with your pictures, saves my bees. Thanks

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Chuck Stein says: August 11, 2021 at 10:20 pm

I could not access the link to add my email to your regular find the queen emails. Please add me to that distribution list. I really need the practice.

Thanks

Reply

Dabis Nandi Daniel says: November 15, 2021 at 10:49 am

I love to learn the techniques of knowing a queen of a bee

Reply

Dabis Nandi Daniel says: November 15, 2021 at 10:49 am

I love to learn the techniques of knowing a queen of a bee

Reply