I started with colors then names: Blue hive, Green , Yellow, tan pink, apple, chicken (closest to the chickens), swell, . . ,. I then gave up and used numbers (except the blue and chicken, they were my first) I keep track of colony size, honey, pests, feeding (if different then the norm) and attacks from skunks. I will be among the first to admit my records fall a little short as there were no pictures tracking problems that needed to be overcome. -Mike