Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
 
Board
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
 
chapter
Best Management Practices for the Operation of Apiaries in Order to Limit Operator Liability [2 VAC 5 ‑ 319]
Chapter is Exempt from Article 2 of the Administrative Process Act
Action Promulgate best management practices for the operation of apiaries to limit operator liability
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ended on 7/13/2016
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6/29/16  7:09 am
Commenter: Mark Cline, Beekeepers Guild Of The Eastern Shore

BMP #6 - Marking Queens
 

I object to this requirement because:

1.  Some queens seem to be rejected by the colony once marked.  Although this is not a universal response to marking, however, I have personally witnessed bees "balling" a newly marked queen that minutes before had been accepeted and laying in the hive.

2.  Some marking comes off of the thorax of the queen, so it is hard to be sure queens were marked.  It would be a shame for liability to be voided just because paint was removed from a healthy queen.

3.  I believe that clipping the wings of a queen is harmful to the queen, may lead to less acceptance of the queen by the colony, interupt natual swarming which is really heathy for the colony

4,  I don't see any connection between marking a queen and any potential "harmful" activity from the hive.  How would a marked queen prevent some innocent person from being stung.  There needs to be a strong connection between the two for this to be included in the BMP.

CommentID: 50365