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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Geoff Manning <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:43:03 +1000
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On 14/04/2014 8:11 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Me "Can you select for longevity by allowing queens to live their 
> naturally alloted span rather than replacing them every x years?"
>
> Peter "No, we are talking about worker lifespan here."
>
> Me: Why do you think that a tendancy towards relative longevity can't 
> be passed genetically mother to daughter?  It works in humans!  If a 
> strain of bees averaged a life span only a few days longer than 
> normal, this could increase the colony's foraging ability by a large 
> percentage, the extra time being at the foraging stage.  Possibly, as 
> part of the same trend, they would need fewer workers to provide for 
> their needs and thus have less mouths to feed, enabling a decent 
> surplus to be accrued.


The selection is for two different trait.  The queen for egg laying 
(affected by number of drones).  The workers by both nutrition and 
wearing out from work, and predation.

Geoff Manning

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