[log in to unmask] wrote in part:

"To Blaine and Dennis, are you sure that F1 is the proper name for a
daughter of a pure bred SMR queen? I think that the designation should
rather go to the queens produced from the eggs layed by open mated
daughters, which would be laying 25% plus SMR brood, depending on the daddy
drones."

Yes the open daughter of the SMR breeder queen is the F1 generation or hybrid.  This is the cross that Harbo and Harris tested and found to have useful levels of varroa resistance.  Spivak also tested this cross and showed very good honey production and varroa resistance in this hybrid cross ( open mated daughter of SMR breeder queens ).   Because the SMR breeder has to be considered an inbred line the out cross of that line produces hybrid offspring ( offspring that express hybrid vigor ).  When you cross these hybrids you get the F2 generation and will get separation of many of the traits.  If instead you purchase another SMR breeder to raise the next generation of queens from, you will increase the SMR trait in those open mated daughters because the drones from the first generation SMR cross will carry the SMR trait.  If you continue to do this for a few years you will have very high levels of SMR in your bees.  You will of course want to do some selection of the colonies and use the best for drone source so you bring along the other good traits that you want in your bees.

FWIW

blane


******************************************
Blane White
MN Dept of Agriculture
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