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Factors determining the effectiveness of artificial insemination.
The outcome of a well-conducted insemination procedure is a queen bee that is readily accepted and capable of laying eggs effectively and for a long period. The factors influencing this success are present at every stage of the insemination process: before, during, and after the procedure.
Let’s examine them chronologically:
- Biological value of the queen bee.
- Storage conditions of the queen bee before the procedure.
- Age of queens and drones used for artificial insemination.
- Technique of the queen bee insemination procedure.
- Care for the queen bee after the procedure.
1. Reproductive value of the queen bee.
The biological quality of the queen bee is one of the first factors affecting the success of the insemination process. High-quality queens are characterized by a higher body weight, correlated with the size of their spermatheca and the number of ovarian tubes. The development of these reproductive organs determines the number of sperm stored in the spermatheca and the queen’s egg-laying intensity. Body weight is also an indicator of flight fitness, influenced by the age of the brood used for rearing and the conditions during the larval period.
Brood age
The youngest larvae, on the 4th day of the cycle (the first day after hatching from the egg), should be used for rearing. From day one, queen larvae are fed royal jelly with a nutritional composition distinct from that for worker larvae. It contains more sugars, vitamins, juvenile hormone, and higher concentrations of 10-HDA acid, which influences the queen’s longevity. The composition of the food determines caste differentiation among females. Early exposure to proper nutrition accelerates the development of reproductive organs, affecting the size of the spermatheca and the number of ovarian tubes.
Rearing conditions
Proper rearing conditions ensure the queen larvae receive ample high-quality food and thermal conditions necessary for healthy development.
Key factors include:
- Steady Royal Jelly Supply: Moderate nectar flow is essential. During abundant nectar flows, worker bees focus on nectar collection, neglecting queen larvae, which then receive less food. During food shortages, especially protein deficits, royal jelly becomes less nutritious.
- Colony Strength: A strong colony ensures the necessary temperature during rearing, particularly on cooler days. The optimal temperature for queen development is 34–35°C. Queens reared at temperatures outside this range have fewer ovarian tubes and may develop morphological defects.
- Biological Maturity of the Colony: A properly structured colony for rearing queens includes a large number of young bees and brood at all stages. Open brood stimulates nurse bees’ hypopharyngeal glands to produce royal jelly. A sufficient number of nurse bees ensures adequate care for queen larvae.
2. Conditions for storing the queen bee before insemination.
Appropriate conditions must protect the queen from physical damage and provide worker bee care. The best environment for the queen is within a bee colony, where she can move freely. Typically, mating nuclei or nucs with screened entrances are used. For larger-scale operations, more economical solutions include: Queen Banks: These are queenless colonies with brood at all stages, free of drone-laying workers, where queens are stored in cages without worker bees. Wooden Zander cages with one mesh side and one solid wall allow workers to feed and groom the queens while providing queens with hiding places to avoid worker aggression.
3. Age of queens and drones used for artificial insemination.
Queen age
The optimal age for insemination is when the queen can transport semen from the oviducts to the spermatheca and clear excess semen from the oviducts. Queens aged 6 to 14 days are most effective in this process, due to the maturity of their hormonal system. Younger queens have insufficient hormone levels to support insemination and semen storage, while older queens face diminished effectiveness. Complete clearing of excess semen from the oviducts is necessary for initiating egg-laying.
Drone age
The quality of drone semen is directly related to their age. Immature drones lack viable semen, while older drones produce thick semen that queens struggle to clear from their oviducts. The optimal age for drones is between 14 and 21 days. The semen’s quality and drone vitality also depend on the rearing colony’s diet, health, and the drones’ ability to fly freely and defecate regularly.
4. Insemination technique and other factors.
Insemination technique
A well-conducted insemination procedure is one during which:
There is no mechanical damage to the queen bee, the injected semen enters smoothly without resistance and does not flow out into the sting chamber.
The queen bee does not become infected – the insemination needle, semen, and vaginal entrance must not come into contact with the bodily fluids of either the queen bee or the drone. During collection, drone semen may only come into contact with the sterilized insemination needle; any contact with the abdomen, wings, or other parts of the drone’s body disqualifies the semen from further collection. Maintaining hygiene during the insemination procedure is a key factor in reducing the risk of infection.
Semen dose
Queen bees can be inseminated with a single dose of 8 µl or two doses of 4 µl each. Depending on the dose, a different method of storing queens before and after the procedure should be chosen.
When inseminating with a single dose of 8 µl, queen bees should be kept in the presence of bees within a colony. This ensures that the semen is effectively transferred to the spermatheca and the oviducts are completely emptied. Queens stored in cages with approximately 25 worker bees after insemination transfer less semen, experience difficulty in completely emptying the oviducts, and begin egg-laying later.
When inseminating queens twice with a dose of 4 µl, they can be successfully stored in queen banks in cages with bees. The queen effectively empties the oviducts of residual semen and begins egg-laying within a week from the insemination procedure.
CO2 anesthesia
Although not mandatory, CO2 anesthesia improves insemination effectiveness by inducing defecation, reducing the risk of fecal contamination during the procedure. It also suppresses the queen’s desire for additional mating flights and stimulates earlier egg-laying.
5. Post-insemination care for the queen bee.
Post-insemination conditions significantly affect the queen’s ability to clear excess semen from the oviducts and transport sperm to the spermatheca. Immediate contact with worker bees is crucial. Workers massage the queen’s abdomen, aiding semen transport and expulsion of remnants. The ideal approach is to return the queen to her original colony immediately after insemination. This replicates natural conditions but is time-consuming and not always feasible. If queens are placed in cages with worker bees after the procedure, the following conditions must be ensured:
- Temperature: around 35°C.
- Crowding: a tight cluster of bees around the queen.
- Bee Age: worker bees should be young or from the same colony as the queen to minimize aggression risks.
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