Drone Hives / Drone Yards - How Do You Handle Them?

[Adam Foster Collins]

I am looking forward to getting into rearing queens next season, and am learning what I can in preparation.

Assuming one is trying to breed for specific traits, and not using instrumental insemination, I've read that people try to flood a given area with drones from their stock in order to "tip the odds" in favor of the genetics they prefer.

I have heard of people setting up "drone yards" far from their queen-rearing hives. I've heard that it has to be a mile or so away? Is this true?

I've read that queens will go a long way from their own hive to mate in order to avoid their own drones, and that is the reason given for the drone yards being maintained at a distance.

I wonder how those of you with experience in bee breeding handle your drone populations. Do you have specific methods that you can share?

Thanks,

Adam

[Charlie B]

I've heard the same as well. All good questions Adam.

[Michael Bush]

The two issues for most seem to be:
1) to maintain diversity (avoid inbreeding)
2) to control the drone side of the genetics

My theory is you maintain diversity by breeding from many queen mothers. And I want the genetics of the drones to come from the feral bees.

[Adam Foster Collins]

Okay Mike, so does that mean you don't do anything specific in the drone department? Or that you collect feral bees and use them as drone colonies? Or are you isolated enough to be confident that a lot of the drones your queens are mating with are feral?

Adam

[Michael Bush]

>Okay Mike, so does that mean you don't do anything specific in the drone department?

Correct.

> Or that you collect feral bees and use them as drone colonies?

That too... not as drone colonies per se but as colonies. All colonies are drone colonies...

> Or are you isolated enough to be confident that a lot of the drones your queens are mating with are feral?

I'm only confident that I like the queens I get... but I think most of the drones about are mine or feral...

[oklabizznessman]

So, do you believe yo maintain your diversity because of new feral stock moving into your area?

If the feral stock is not wanting to breed with their drones then they must be breeding with_____??? I'm thinking after a couple of years there would not be so much diversity????

Very interesting!!! ohhhhhhh but wait you said you were providing different queen mothers?