When buying a mated queen i see you can buy a open mated queen or closed mated or artificial insemination queen. Which one would you think produces a better queen?
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define "better" I've never dealt with AI queens, but from what I've been told they don't run big colonies well and also why would you want a $600 queen to run a production hive. The only plus side is you know exactly what you will get.
Read a paper from 2008 that said that II queens did not live as long and did not have as many total eggs as a naturally mated queen. They were also superseded more often as well.
HTH
Rusty
HTH
Rusty
If thats the case then why would people want them fir breeder queens? Sounds like they are in fairer. I had no idea AI was used mainly for breeder queens and cost so dam much. I was driving and just wondering what method produces a better queen. I would never pay that much for 1 queen, hope you would get free shipping tho.
From what I understand,The purpose of II queens is to bring in specific genetic traits. One buys these so they can graft and raise her daughters as breeder or production queens. TheII queen isn't for production as she doesnt lay long .. it is her offspring you're after.
Most of us beekeepers desire production queens. Those queens that make bees that make honey. These are typically the least expensive
Breeder queens are those queens with great traits and are used to make more queens. Those who raise queens use these
Most of us beekeepers desire production queens. Those queens that make bees that make honey. These are typically the least expensive
Breeder queens are those queens with great traits and are used to make more queens. Those who raise queens use these
It all depends on how you like to use these queens.
i.e. If you want to raise the vsh production queens then buying
a vsh AI breeder makes sense. If you want to buy queens for production
purposes only then getting the regular open mated queens will do o.k. for you.
Let's say you want to keep the mite biting traits going in your area. Then buying
a breeder (open mated) will ensure you have this trait in your apiary for a long time.
Although open mated, you can still make many more graft before the queen is dead.
So which one is better? It depends on how you use this queen.
i.e. If you want to raise the vsh production queens then buying
a vsh AI breeder makes sense. If you want to buy queens for production
purposes only then getting the regular open mated queens will do o.k. for you.
Let's say you want to keep the mite biting traits going in your area. Then buying
a breeder (open mated) will ensure you have this trait in your apiary for a long time.
Although open mated, you can still make many more graft before the queen is dead.
So which one is better? It depends on how you use this queen.
If your definition of a "better queen" is the same as the bees' then an open mated queen is better. She has more pheromones, is better accepted and has more longevity (the bees keep her longer). If your definition of a "better queen" is that you get exactly a certain set of genetics, then the II queen is better.
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