Don't follow, Pete!  Isn't the problem with inbreeding the lack of allelic
diversity?   Accumulation of deleterious alleles is the result of directed
breeding.  So since a drone has an allele of every gene, how could it
possibly be "inbred"?

Real inbreeding depression is not the result of one bad cross but of a long series of inbred generations. Over generations the allelic diversity is lost on many loci. Eventually, the organism reaches a tipping point where too many deleterious mutations have accumulated. This is one reason why recombination has evolved, to mix up the contributions from the mother and father. 

The opposite of this would be a high level of diversity along the genome, which we hope would lead to an increase in vigor. This is not the one off occurence of hybrid vigor due to the crossing of divergent lines, but an accumulation of diversity as opposed to the accumulation of deleterious traits. Again, the colony has the mechanisms in place to promote this diversity: recombination, outcrossing, elimination of weakened drones in the drone flight. 

And then, seasonal fluctuation, whether long term drought or a six month winter, tends to eliminate strains that are weakened for any reason. The genome of both the male and female contain this  diverse makeup. We still don't know what the correlation is between genes and behavior, so there is much more to be discovered. Finally, if I have made errors in the presentation of this, I apologize. I am a layperson and hold no advanced degree.

PLB

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