Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Fri, 23 Jul 1999 15:26:08 -0400 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
>When making splits with brood and eggs and letting the bees raise their own
>queens I have observed that different colonies build queen cells
>differently. Some start immediately, some wait for a day or more before
>starting cells. Some have cells with nearly the same aged larvae, others
>have cells with a range of larval age. The cell sizes, and placement on
the
>comb are variable within a colony and between colonies. Some build one or
>two large cells, others build a few large cells and the rest are what I
call
>emergency cells. Some build only small cells. A few don't build cells at
>all or only cell cups.
This may be the core to why there is even a argument. The genetics of the
two sample groups, could be causing the different results for the different
beekeepers.
If I have a large operation, and within that a large but stable gene pool,
and begin a practice, then I am going to select for traits that improve the
survival rate when pressured by that practice.
If I do walk away splits, then requeen failure, I will be selecting for the
traits that favor starting a queen from a young larvae or egg. Colonies that
do not have the trait will be removed from the gene pool when it is
requeened.
This of course requires that I have some bees with the right traits to start
with. If my gene pool has only "3 day larvae" genes then I can never raise
good emergency queens from my existing stock (baring mutation).
Make sense?
Hope to seem some of you all at EAS.
|
|
|