When marking a queen in the apiary, the beginning beekeeper, or one who is not comfortable with picking up the queen by her thorax, should use a queen catcher, either a clip or one-handed queen catcher and marker, so as not to injure the queen. This is a good video to demonstrate the process.
Queen Marking
Generally, queens are marked before being introduced. In fact, queens may be purchased already marked by the queen producer.
They can, however, be marked at any time. Paint should be given ample time to dry before the queen is released into the colony.
Some beekeepers also clip the tip of one forewing. If queens are replaced every two years, the beekeeper clips the left wing on queens introduced in odd years and the right wing on queens introduced in even years. The clipping practice may also supplement the paint spot technique as a back-up should the queen lose her paint mark. If clipped correctly, the queen will not be able to fly. However, if clipped too closely, the queen may appear damaged and be superseded.
Methods
After you feel comfortable with handling the queen, this video by Paul Kelly with the University of Guelph demonstrates advanced techniques.
Clipping the wing, odd years on left, is recommended to prevent swarming. Please be careful to only clip the tip. If you clip too much, the colony may supersede her.
Practice on drones to improve you skills and comfort level.
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