Artificial Insemination upsides & downsides

[eaglesbee]

What are some of the negatives to artifical insemination? If a person learned he could save a lot of money in buying queens and keep his genetics clean.

Do the queens last as long as naturally mated queens?

Is it that hard to become good at A.I.ing?

How many of you folks do AI on a regular basis?

How many drones do you need to AI a queen?

Where do you buy good equipment that wont cost an arm and a leg?

I've seen Sue Colbys class advertised how many of you have gone to this and do you AI your queens?

Thanks
eaglesbee

[tarheit]

If they are treated well II queens will last as long as open mated queens. Most of the bad repuation II queens got was from poorly handled and inseminated queens early on. They were inseminated after the queen was older than optimal, banked for some time, etc. Something not good for open mated queens either.

You need about 8-10 drones per queen. However, you do end up wasting quite a few when collecting semin due to incomplete inversions, contaminations, immature drones, etc. So typically you would need 20-25 drones.

A good setup with everything can run $3000-3500, and a basic setup may be $2000+. Short of running across some used equipment there are very few makers and all are in the same price range. (We aren't talking mass produced stuff from china here, they likely are all hand machined in small quantities.) I have talked to someone who is trying to put together a less expensive setup, but don't know what has become of it yet.

It is also possible to make your own based on some old articles (http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/27.37.0.0.1.0.phtml).

I have taken Sue Colby's class (worth every penny), and I do II some of my queens. It's not hard to get good at II, It just takes lots of practice and is definately much easier with good equipment.

-Tim

[eaglesbee]

TARHEIT & ALL
THANKS FOR THE HELP
I LIVE IN A COLDER AREA AND THE HIVES COMING BACK FROM ALMONDS ARE BOOMING AND NEED TO BE SPLIT BUT FOR THE 3RD YEAR NOW QUEENS HAVE BEEN DELAYED I HAVE DRONES FROM THE ALMONDS AND I CAN MAKE QUEENS BUT THE WEATHER IS UNPREDICTABLE FOR PROPER MATING IM THINKING IF I AI THE QUEEN THAT I MAKE I DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?

[tarheit]

It certainly would work if you are willing to put the time and effort (and expense) into it. It's not exactly a trivial difference in time and expense.

-Tim