[lorcoalaska]

So, if I have the only hive for 10 miles, which I likely will, and my bees want to replace the queen, will the new queen be mating with the same genetics as the old queen? How would this benefit the hive?

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

It wouldn't. I'd strongly recommend you buy a mated queen.

JMO

Rusty

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

An interesting question!


However, even though you may not be aware of other hives in the vicinity, that does not mean there aren't any. For instance member Cedarecho is in Juneau and getting hives this spring. Member search shows 5 Beesource members in Juneau, but there may also be more local beekeepers who aren't Beesource members.

You can search for members by location with Advanced Member Search under the Community tab. Community is one of the tabs available if you click on the "Forum" tab, or click here:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/memberlist.php
and look for Search Members, then Advanced Search.

 

[Tenbears]

Actually in the insect world inbreeding is insignificant. Since the drones technically have no farther, and linage is only considered through the sir. Then a reared queen bred by drones from her own colony would not produce inbred offspring. In any event. it is doubtful that there are no other bees in your area. even if you are off the grid.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Then a reared queen bred by drones from her own colony would not produce inbred offspring.

Actually, I read this on Michael Bush's site:

And all of this is ignoring the built in control over this with the bees' method of gender control being sex alleles that limit the success of inbred bees. An inbred line of bees has many diploid (fertilized) drone eggs (because similar sex alleles line up) that will not be allowed by the bees to develop.

You can read this at http://bushfarms.com/beesgeneticdiversity.htm

You can read about the resulting spotty brood patterns from another source as well: http://www.countryrubes.com/images/Judging_The_Quality_Of_Queen_Bee_8_10.pdf

ii) Inbreeding: an inbred queen is a queen that has been mated with genetically close males i.e. males from the same hive in which she was raised. Such a queen lays fertilized eggs, which hatch out into drone larvae (diploid drones). The bees dispose of these diploid males a few hours after the eggs hatch...

Which is why I was suggesting the mated queen.

HTH

Rusty

 

[lorcoalaska]

I get it.. so order up a mated queen quick. I bet the farm there are no bees within 8 miles.