Evaluating the potential for mating control in honey bee breeding in three SE European countries (preliminary results)

Abstract

The study was conducted to explore alternatives for mating control as a part of honey bee breeding programs for genetic improvement & conservation of local honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations in Croatia (HR), Macedonia (MK) and Slovenia (SI). We observed nuptial flights of 87 virgin queens (30 in HR, 35 in MK and 22 in SI) on potential sites. Mating success was related to the presence of drone producing colonies, but even at locations chosen for their isolation from known apiaries, mating success of 70% was achieved. On average, queens performed nuptial flights on 1.8 days in HR, 1.6 to 4.3 days in MK and 1.6 to 2.4 days in SI. Unsuccessful nuptial flights were two/threefold shorter than successful flights.

Published in

Title: Proceeding of 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) : Technical and species orientated innovations in animal breeding, and contribution of genetics to solving societal challenges
Publisher: Wageningen Academic Publishers

Conference

The 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 3-8 July, 2022

SLU Authors

• Andonov, Sreten

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Genetics
Zoology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-940-4_606
• eISBN: 978-90-8686-940-4

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/124683