There was a clock time when beekeepers had just a few bee potpourri from which to select . There were golden Italians , dark brown Carniolans , maybe the occasional Buckfast . But , over the last few ten , researchers have gained significant brainstorm into Apis mellifera gadget characteristic , behavior and associated familial trait .
Queen breeders have cautiously selected for everything from honey and brood production to the honeybee ’ power to battle varroa mites . Best of all , beekeeper more and more put some of these narrow traits to solve for themselves .
Lanie Bilodeau is research leader for theHoney Bee Breeding , Genetics , and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge , Louisiana . The research unit is a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture ’s Agricultural Research Service .
“ We ’re in this interesting ‘ discovery ’ phase right on now , because we ’re look for new traits to cover for , ” Bilodeau says . “ We release the Russian stock certificate and the Pol - line stocks a bit of year ago . And those are being developed by our commercial-grade cooperators . ”
The USDA - ARS readiness ’s Russian bee ancestry originally result from old age of observation and genic natural selection . And since the late nineties , the Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association maintained and improved upon these genetical business .
Bilodeau ’s grouping subsequently loose its Pol - rail line fund to the Hawaii - basedHilo Bee project , presently conduct field trials in select province .
cott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Varroa-related Traits
Shop for bee now and you ’ll be hard - pressednotto find transmissible lines said to be varroa - resistant . Often these come from “ VSH queens”—those which express the varroa - raw hygiene trait .
“ The idea is that the bee can sense the pheromone of the developing varroa mite and then remove that [ affected ] larva which also would remove the mites , ” says Rachel Morrison , apiary educator with Honey Bee Genetics and Sola Bee Farms in Vacaville , California .
“ They do that by uncapping the cell and absent [ its contents . ] ”
cott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Morrison uphold , “ Part of what we ’re also breeding for is varroa mite leeway — bees that do n’t meet quite to the usual extent with a low brink of varroa mites . The idea is that they ’re well able to compete with those issues .
“ But that does not have in mind that beekeepers can rely only on the bee . They still should be monitor their varroa warhead and taking all of those other integrated plague management precautions that facilitate keep bees as healthy as possible . ”
Other Possibilities
Varroa - sore hygienics is n’t the only trait Honey Bee Genetics purveys . Although each of the company ’ three bee lines is said to exhibit the VSH trait , some critical differences exist .
“ We have an Italian hybrid , a Carniolan hybrid and a Russian - Carniolan loanblend , ” Morrison says . “ We know that our Russian - Carniolan cross is also resistant to some other disease like chalkbrood and foulbrood . ”
genetic science from the more teachable Carniolan bee make the Russian - Carniolan hybrid disposition a chip milder than that of the stark Russian strain .
“ The Carniolan temperament stool them a little more enjoyable — especially for our hobbyists — to work , ” Morrison notes . “ We desire them to still have those trait that make them so exceptional , but to kind of temper that defensive behavior that can make it harder for the humans . ”
Both the Italian and Carniolan VSH hybrids are docile . However , some of their other traits could be make - or - break , depending on your available forage and climate .
“ For example , we know that our Italian cross may take in their love storage a little faster than our Carniolan intercrossed might . So , if you ’re in an area that you have to concern that you might not have as much available forage for a foresightful menstruation of time , you may want to go with a breed with behavior that is better suitable to conserving the dear they ’ve stored , ” Morrison says .
Different honeybee strains may begin building up their populations at unlike time as well . Prone to start laying to begin with than other bee varieties , Italians are well - suited to more temperate climate . On the other hand , Morrison say , “ Carniolans have more of a moderate population build - up , and they can do well in colder climates . They also have been shown to be good regulators of expenditure of their stores . ”
What’s Next?
Thanks to researchers such as Bilodeau , you ’re disposed to have even more choices in the coming class .
“ We are trying to continue to select on the POL - rail line and the Russian Apis mellifera . Use them to take care for traits that we can work with next , ” Bilodeau says . “ We desire to develop a multitrait selection curriculum , so that we ’re not just select for varroa resistance or computer virus resistance or whatever , but so that we can match multiple traits together , including bee that will be fat .
“ you’re able to get a really disease - resistant bee . But it might not make a lot of love or it might keep a dependency pocket-sized . We need to modernize a bee with this multitrait selection . It ’s a more comprehensive approaching . ”
To that ending , one USDA - ARS researcher investigate the ways some virus affect scrounge behavior . Another explores the production of vitellogenin — a specific kind of memory protein — in honeybees .
“ Vitellogenin affects alimentary assimilation from pollen , ” Bilodeau says . Honeybees can habituate the memory protein in many ways . “ There ’s a plenty of variety there for how [ honeybees ] change over it — like muscle mass , ” she says .
Read more : Thinking about Apis mellifera ? Consider these thing before get bees .
Daunting Decisions
Whether available now or in the near future , know just which combination of traits to choose can be a footling daunting . Morrison advise first considering your localization , your climate and your personal goals .
“ People keep bees for various reasons — to harvest dearest , for pollenation aim , just to revel nature and have bees as purely a pursuit , ” she says . “ Some different breed of bee — their temperaments and their behaviors — are better for oneor more of those goals . ”
Your personal beekeeping doctrine is another divisor . “ How often do you find comfortable — or want to call back about — treating for unlike diseases and parasites like the varroa mite ? ” Morrison require . “ Think about the time you have , the disbursement that you ’re willing to put into it , and your own feelings about treating .
“ Some bees are near at eliminating those thing on their own . Others take more human intervention . ”
Regarding some of the superfluous - docile bee strains , Morrison says , “ You might have to bung them , if there ’s not enough eatage , or be extra careful with disease andVarroa mites . If you have the time todo that and you require to have docilebees , then that ’s a good deal - off if you ’re doing it as a hobby . ”cott Bauer , USDA Agricultural Research Service
Bee Bona Fides
Once you finally adjudicate on the best bee strain for you , you ’ll want to insure you really get the genetic science you pay for . In the slip of varroa tinge - resistant bees , for instance , Bilodeau suggests asking potential suppliers a few key questions .
“ postulate what variety of mite levels the producer typically find in their colonies and how often they have to treat [ for mite ] ” she says . “ Also , how vigorous are their bee loosely ? You want a colony that ’s go to grow .
“ You require a colony that ’s going to remain active . ”
And , if you ’re specifically seek genetically pure Russian stock — recognise to demo multiple varroa - resistant demeanour — start with theRussian Honey Bee Breeders Association . In accession to exhibiting robust VSH demeanor , the mathematical group ’s Russian bee incline to mangle and bite varroa mites they rule on one another .
These forte bee are also judicious with their resourcefulness and can overwinter fairly well .
For its part , Honey Bee Genetics has its queen scrutinize by a third political party — the Bee Informed Partnership — each yr . “ They come out and test to make certain that our loanblend queen mole rat that have been multiply from our really special stock breeder queens have retained those traits and behaviors that we ’re breeding for , ” Morrison says . “ We need to check that that we are providing our customers with the trait and behaviors that we guaranteed to them . ”
Read more : Seasonal changes mean specific tasks for beekeepers .
Protecting Your Investment
As you might ask , specialisation pouf and bundle typically be more than , say , plain old Italians . To get the most out of your investing , horde command is all-important . “ If your hive re - tabby itself , you do have the young of your nance , ” Morrison say . “ But with each subsequent contemporaries , all of that selective breeding becomes diluted . ”
you may mitigate teem by offering your bees slew of brood space for their grow population . “ Or you could proactively make early springiness tear and then queen your split up with the desired stock that you want , ” Morrison state . “ Also , you could re - queen a little more oftentimes than you might otherwise . ”
Using a marked queen is also a secure idea . “ Marking your queen mole rat , so that you know that it ’s the same queen , can help you to keep those same genetic traits in your colonies , ” Morrison allege .
Marked female monarch are easier to spot , too . “ You necessitate to know where that queen is when you end the dependency , ” Bilodeau says . “ Make certain she did n’t unravel out or you do n’t slosh her . Be soft with the Colony . And be heedful with her ! ”
This article originally appeared in the March / April 2022 subject ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
