Tests Results and Descriptions
2004 Fall Treatments for Varroa
You can see the 2004 Tests Results for 2005 Queen Rearing Season:
Selection Strategy
Every year we make observations and evaluate colony performance for basic characteristics such as Overwintering, Gentleness, Brood Viability, Longevity of the Queen, Disinclination to Swarming, Resistance to Brood Diseases, Quietness on the Combs and Honey Production. Each colony is scored accordingly. This information is stored in a database, where we analyze and make a pre-selection. This is the first step.
These PRESELECTED COLONIES are then submitted to a battery of tests to determine their level of natural resistance (genetics) to mites’ infestation and brood diseases. These tests are: Hygienic, Quick-Test, SMR and 24-hour Mite Drop discused below.
The queens are classified as SELECT BREEDERS if the tests results reveal superiority and resistance to mite infestations. These will be the breeder queens for the next season. Each line may have one, two or three Select Breeder Queens. We reserved the best one of each line for our queen-rearing program. The second best are used as Select Drones Colonies for our Isolated Mating Apiary, where we produce purebred queens of Russian Stock. The remainder of the Select Breeders can be sold to other Beekeepers interested in breeding and/or queen production.
The following season, the Select Breeder Queens are available as TESTED BREEDER QUEENS to other Queen Breeders and/or Producers.
Honey Production
We measure honey production using a spring scale attached to an Easy Loader whenever removing supers of honey. We record the amount of supers removed also. The computer calculates the net amount of honey produced by subtracting the average weight of the empty supers. The table below shows the total production for the 2004 season per tested colonies. There is a wide range of results. Therefore, we can easily select the best producing colonies as breeders and drone sources. We only use the colonies producing above the average of 86 lbs.
Hygienic Test
This test measures the level of hygienic behavior of the colony. Two recessive genes are responsible for this trait, useful in controlling Varroa mites, American and European Foulbrood. One gene causes the bees to detect and uncap infected brood cells, while the other gene makes the bees to remove the content of the cell, in order to eradicate any infection. The two genes must be present in the majority of the population of the colony, in order for the colony to be considered hygienic.
This test is accomplished by using liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill a predetermined number of capped brood cells of the right age, thus submitting the bees to dead pupae within the cells. The frame of brood is reinserted in the colony. 24 hours later, the frame is examined to evaluate how many cells are uncapped and the contents removed. This gives a percentage of hygienic behavior.
Example of an excellent
hygienic colony
The Quick-Test
This test measures the ability of the colony to resist infestation from Honeybee Tracheal Mites (HTM). This mite lives in the trachea of the bee. In order to perform this test, we must remove a frame of emerging bees, and send it along with some bees, to our Tech-Transfer Team working for the OBA (Ontario Beekeepers’ Association). The adhering bees are brushed off and the frame is incubated overnight in a special cage to trap all emerging bees. These bees are carefully tagged individually to know from which breeder queen they came from and introduced randomly in infected colonies. The newly emerging bees are susceptible to tracheal mites in the first 7 days. A week later, the bees are retrieved from the colonies, hand picked one by one, and classified according to their original location (mother-breeder queen). Each bee is then sent to the bee lab to be sliced and examined under a microscope to count the number of tracheal mites they contain. The level of resistance to infestation is measured in 2 ways. Prevalence indicates the % of bees that were infested. Abundance indicates the average number of mites found in the trachea. We can therefore determine which colonies are the most resistant by selecting the top (about 25%), those classified in Group 1. The group 2 (about 26-50%) is used as back up.
Tech-Transfer team tagging
bees
The SMR Test
The Suppression of Mite Reproduction test measures the ability of the colony to suppress the reproduction of the Varroa mite within the colony. The female adult varroa must enter a brood cell in order to lay eggs. She emerges with the new bee along with her daughters. If the colony possesses this trait, some of the mother varroa emerge with no daughters. For some reason, she was unable to reproduce, thus controlling the population of varroa effectively.
In order to perform this test, we have to remove a frame of capped brood, and send it to the Bee lab to be analyzed. Each capped cell is uncapped manually and the content of the cell carefully examined and recorded. The number of cells containing a single varroa over the total of cells infested with varroa is the percentage of this trait.
For this test to be successfully performed, the colonies need to be substantially infested. Otherwise the SMR trait cannot be evaluated. Last fall, we submitted 5 frames to be evaluated, but there was not enough mites in these frames to assess the SMR trait. Therefore, no results are available for this year.
The 24 Hour Mite Drop
This simple test is useful in determining the level of resistance of the colony to varroa mites. Varroa cannot be eradicated completely, but can be controlled successfully. We know that the varroa population increases during the summer, and coincides with brood rearing activity. By the end of the summer in September, varroa population has reached its maximum. This test measures the natural mortality of varroa for a period of time. We know from research that this amount of natural mite fall is proportional to the total mite population in the colony. If the level of varroa mite dying from natural cause is low, we know that the population of varroa in the colony is low. By comparing colonies in the same apiary, we can find out which one has a lower varroa population, and this indicates a genetic resistance.
To perform this test, we insert a piece of cardboard covered by a glue substance, to make sure the dead varroa stays on the paper and do not fall off when we remove the paper for inspection. Additionally, we cover the paper with a raised 8x8 mesh screen so that the bees do not houseclean the paper and debris, accumulating during the waiting period. The cardboard are labeled by colony #, date and time in and out. Each cardboard is examined carefully for the presence of dead varroa mites and the exact count is recorded. We survey about 8 colonies per apiary where pre-selected breeders queens are located. We can then compare each breeder colony with the average of the apiary to determine if it shows better resistance. This method of analyzing takes into account the particular environmental condition of the apiary at this time.
2004 Fall Treatments for Varroa
In September 2004, we conducted an extensive Varroa mites survey, using sticky boards in all our apiaries, to determine the average level of mites infestation in each particular apiary. The objective was to determine if we needed treatments, and what type of treatment we should use, based on our findings. The results are shown in the table below. Our survey indicated that only 2 apiaries needed treatments out of 10. We have set our ETL (Economic Threshold Level) at 10 mites/24 hour. This means that if an apiary shows an average below 10 mites, we do not treat it. This is because we follow the Integrated Pest Management approach, and we want to minimize treatments. The colonies which are genetically resistant are given an opportunity to demonstrate this resistance more visibly than if we were constantly knocking mites down with acaricides at every incidence of mite detection. If the level of mites in a given apiary is allowed to rise to a moderate level, then the colonies showing lower level are truly resistant.
|
APIARY
ID |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
SUM |
AVG |
|
#
COLONIES IN APIARY |
30 |
26 |
24 |
30 |
28 |
26 |
12 |
36 |
21 |
36 |
269 |
27 |
|
# COLONIES SURVEYED |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
2 |
8 |
12 |
8 |
79 |
8 |
|
# HOURS OF SURVEY |
48.50 |
70.25 |
70.50 |
70.00 |
70.50 |
69.75 |
76.25 |
71.50 |
74.25 |
72.25 |
693.75 |
69.38 |
|
AVG # MITES ON STICKY BOARD |
2.8 |
6.9 |
9.7 |
30.4 |
10.8 |
2.4 |
3.5 |
5.1 |
8.8 |
34.4 |
114.8 |
11.5 |
|
AVG # MITES/24 HOUR |
1.2 |
2.3 |
3.3 |
10.4 |
3.7 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
1.7 |
2.9 |
10.4 |
38.0 |
3.8 |
2004 Tests Results for 2005 Queen Rearing Season
The SMR test was performed last fall (2004) but due to a low varroa population, SMR could not be determined for these colonies.
The Hygienic and Quick-Test Group indicates ranking groups. Groups 1 and 2 indicate superiority.
The 24-hour Mite drop indicates Varroa resistance.
If you want to purchase Select and/or Tested Breeder Queens, contact François Petit at:
Home (613) 527-2711, Cell: (613) 363-6790
Select and Tested Breeders are sold in a standard nuc containing eggs and larvaes to enable grafting the next day.
Select and Tested Breeders Queens are guaranteed for 1 graft only.
Select Breeders and Tested Breeders are available for pick up in the spring according to availability.
We reserve the right to one graft for backup, before they are sold if need be.
Select Breeder Queens are beginning their second season. They were mated in 2003.
Tested Breeder Queens are beginning their third season. They were mated in 2002 or earlier.
These queens are tagged and clipped already since their first season.
For prices click here.
2004 Tests Results - Russian Stock
Purebred - Closed Mated with Selected Pure Russian Drones
|
Queen ID |
Honey
Production (Lbs) |
Line
|
Hygienic % Uncapped |
Hygienic % Removed |
Hygienic Group |
HTM % Prevalence |
HTM Abundance |
Quick-Test Group |
24-hour
Varroa Mite Drop |
Difference With Apiary Average |
|
784 |
172 |
2000 blue |
60 |
38 |
3 |
|
|
|
3.9 |
+1.0 |
|
689 |
75 |
2000 blue |
57 |
37 |
3 |
|
|
|
10.6 |
+0.2 |
|
762 |
54 |
2000 purple |
82 |
61 |
2 |
|
|
|
36.6 |
+34.9 |
|
790 |
135 |
2000 purple |
98 |
77 |
1 |
64 |
3.00 |
4 |
0.3 |
-2.5 |
|
719 |
15 |
2000 purple |
56 |
20 |
4 |
|
|
|
0 |
-3.7 |
|
697 |
65 |
2000 purple |
57 |
19 |
4 |
|
|
|
1.4 |
-2.3 |
|
698 |
65 |
2000 purple |
99 |
95 |
1 |
71 |
2.68 |
4 |
0.7 |
-3.0 |
|
695 |
73 |
2000 white |
51 |
20 |
4 |
|
|
|
14.4 |
+4.0 |
|
655 |
54 |
2000 white |
74 |
36 |
3 |
|
|
|
39 |
+35.5 |
|
1236 |
123 |
2000 white |
81 |
77 |
1 |
65 |
1.50 |
1 |
2.0 |
-1.3 |
|
831 |
113 |
2000 white |
59 |
41 |
3 |
|
|
|
9.3 |
-1.1 |
|
779 |
81 |
2002 white |
64 |
31 |
3 |
|
|
|
4.5 |
+1.7 |
|
788 |
96 |
2000 white |
75 |
64 |
2 |
|
|
|
2.3 |
-0.6 |
|
729 |
73 |
2001 green |
35 |
19 |
4 |
|
|
|
9.6 |
+8.6 |
|
744 |
48 |
2001 green |
89 |
54 |
2 |
|
|
|
1.7 |
+0.8 |
|
737 |
141 |
2001 green |
60 |
36 |
3 |
|
|
|
0.0 |
-1.0 |
|
735 |
132 |
2001 green |
87 |
63 |
2 |
|
|
|
1.4 |
+0.4 |
|
619 |
150 |
2001 green |
96 |
89 |
1 |
69 |
1.97 |
2 |
2 |
+0.3 |
|
715 |
48 |
2001 green |
96 |
88 |
1 |
86 |
2.81 |
4 |
1.0 |
-2.6 |
|
849 |
71 |
2001 yellow |
86 |