BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Dave Cushman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:52:21 -0000
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (62 lines)
Hi Peter

> I don't see how it can hinge on selection if you are only selecting one
side
> (the queen) and letting them mate with the neighborhood drones

I was never suggesting this!

The selection occurs (or at least should occur) in the previous generation
to find colonies that are 'likely candidates' for both the queen side and
drone side of the proposed matings.

The resulting offspring then require further selection to ensure that the
desireable features are present or enhanced, without losing features that
were previously thought to be desirable. This is what I understand by
improvement.

I am not sure how 'selecting one side' ever crept into this discussion.

> I bought a very gentle carniolan strain, raised queens from it and
> let them mate with the neighborhood bees. The result was bees
> mean as hornets.

Your example has many duplicates among many beekeepers and is a typical
outcome of expecting to breed a race or strain that is not compatible with
the background population of bees.

If you wish to propagate carniolan bees, then your starting point must be
multiple populations of non related strains of carniolan bees, each of which
has been morphometrically analysed to prove race. You will then need to
either saturate the area with your own drones (very, very difficult) or use
instrumental insemination (much simpler than most people think).

The progeny of many of these colonies need to be tested and assessed, with
the thumb and forefinger brought ito play if any queen does not come up to
standard, it is this culling of the bad that has a big influence on the end
result. This end result should be the gentle carniolan bees that you
originally desired.

Once you have a large enough population of your new strain and a few
generations under your belt the chances of breeding true are greatly
increased, but you will always need the thumb and forefinger for fine tuning
your quality control.

There are too many that attempt to do this and fail, because they use too
few strains in the first place and end up with inbred strains with poor
performance.

Use enough typed strains and be diligent enough in your testing, follow this
with selecting to a firm set of rules and characteristics and you will not
fail... However there is considerable work involved to do it properly.


Best Regards & 73s, Dave Cushman... G8MZY
Beekeeping & Bee Breeding Website
Email: [log in to unmask] or  [log in to unmask]
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman & http://www.dave-cushman.net

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ATOM RSS1 RSS2