Minimizing the genetic input of mediocre stock

[Michael Bush]

> Do you practice this?

Not exactly. I try to maintain as many lines as I can. What I choose when grafting, though, are the more booming hives. But I only replace the lines I think are inferior. In other words the ones that languish or really go slow. I don't requeen all my hives with sisters from my most outstanding mother.

> Where does Brother Adam mention this? I have read most of his books and cant recall reading it.

I don't have my library handy (as I'm in the process of moving) but I'm fairly sure it was in "In search of the Best Strains of Bees". Seems like it was somewhere between 1/4 of the way and 1/3 of the way into the book.

> Where does Miller mention it?

C.C. Miller doesn't do it or recommend it, but mentions it:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmillerm...nceofselection

2nd paragraph down from "Importance of Selection"

[ptmerrill]

Thanks Michael Bush. I found the sections where Brother Adam talks about it. Page 48 and 49. It is indeed in In search of the best strains of bee.

[ptmerrill]

In search of the best strains of bees.

[Ramona]

But you still need a DRONE to deliver the DNA even if it is his mother's DNA that he's delivering. Your queen will contribute her DNA and each of the drones will contribute the DNA that they are carrying. So if a dozen drones breed with your queen, she is still only contributing her DNA, while all those different DNAs that all the different drones are carrying will ultimately contribute to the makeup for the entire hive. That is quite an impact and that is why I am saying it's more than your queen--you need good drones too. You can requeen until the cows come home. You can have the finest-bred queen that money can buy, but if she has not bred with good drones, her potential has been wasted.

JMO

Rusty

Drones are not genetically contributing anything other than DNA directly from their queen mother. All their sperm is identical to their own DNA so genetically what are they other than a means to get DNA from multiple queens into one queen (in multiple)? This is what I mean by saying it is all about the queens(s).

Of course you need the drones as the delivery system - how else to get sperm from one queen into another?

Ramona