Bob Harrison wrote:

>Many of us feel the queens we have been getting from queen producers have
>not been allowed to get the required number of matings. 

Yes, but this is not the point of the article. It is not about multiple
mating, per se, but multiple mating to *unrelated* drones. Then, the workers
are less closely related than they would be if their fathers were all
closely related (brothers).

Quote:

The observation that intracolonial genetic diversity improved productivity
in colonies is consistent with predictions made by models of division of
labor that rely on genotypic differences in response thresholds among
workers. Higher collective productivity of genetically diverse colonies may
be rooted in a broader or more sensitive response from worker populations to
changing conditions.

Genetic Diversity in Honey Bee Colonies Enhances Productivity and Fitness
Heather R. Mattila, et al.

www.sciencemag.org 
this information is current as of July 19, 2007

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