The Queen Color Code in Beekeeping

In a hive containing between 10,000 and 60,000 bees, spotting the queen often requires patience. A simple colored dot on her thorax changes everything: you can spot her at a glance. However, this mark serves a purpose beyond mere identification—the color follows an international code linked to the queen's birth year.

The purpose of marking

Marking the queen primarily saves time: less time spent searching for her means more time to observe egg-laying, check food stores, or anticipate swarming. It also allows you to determine her age at a glance, which helps in planning when to replace her. Finally, if you ever find a queen whose color does not match the expected year, it indicates "silent supersedure"—meaning the colony has replaced its queen without your intervention.

The international color code

The marking system follows a five-year cycle based on the last digit of the birth year. This system is standardized worldwide; beekeepers in France, Canada, and Australia all use the same colors.

Color chart by year

In 2026, the official color is white.

How to mark a queen

You will need a suitable marker (water-based Posca pens or specialized paint like ICKO work well), a marking cage or mesh to hold her still without injury, and a way to record the date—such as a notebook or the HexaBees app.

Look for the queen on the brood frames, where she spends most of her time; worker bees often form a ring around her. Restrain her using the marking cage, or gently pick her up between your thumb and forefinger, avoiding her wings. Apply a dot only to the thorax—never the abdomen or wings—to avoid hindering or injuring her. For the color white (used in 2026), adding a thin dark outline improves visibility. Let the mark dry for a few seconds, then gently place her back on a frame rather than on the hive floor, where she could be trampled.

One final tip: avoid marking queens during bad weather when the bees are more agitated, and if you are a beginner, practice handling worker bees first.

Want to keep track of the age and color of each of your queens? HexaBees does it for you, hive by hive.