Tom Barrett wrote:
 
> When reading 'A Manual of Beekeeping' by E.B. Wedmore, I came across the
> following paragraphs.
>
> '176. Provided there are potent drones living in the colony from which the
> mating flight takes place, there is a high probability (some say 95 in 100)
> that the queen will mate with one of those drones. Never, therefore, let a
> queen fly for mating from a colony having drones of undesirable parentage.
> Either destroy all such drones and advanced drone brood before inserting a
> queen cell, shaking in some recently emerged drones of desirable origin.
>
> snip,snip
 
Two things:
"drones of undesirable parentage" ?? Same mother if from the same hive
as the virgin queen so I assume the author, although he doesn't say so
(in fact he seems to be saying something quite different!), is warning
against inbreeding. If this is not what he means, then surely the virgin
queen also has undesirable parentage!!
 
I have read several times that a queen for reasons unknown DOES NOT mate
with drones from the
same hive ie having the same mother. For example:
"It has been shown that virgins very rarely mate with related drones,
which reduces the
chances of inbreeding, one of the perils to avoid in any controlled
breeding scheme."
IMPROVING OUR BEE STOCKS: WHY IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO DO
by D.W.J. YANKE of DAYKEL APIARIES
True or false?
 
Tony
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony N Morgan,
Fxrsteammanuensis
Institutt for Elektroteknikk
Hxgskolen i Sxr-Trxndelag
N-7005 Trondheim, Norway
[log in to unmask]
Tlf. 73 55 96 04
Fax. 73 55 95 81