Advanced Queen Breeding Workshop

 

The Queen Breeding workshop will guide beekeepers through the theoretical and practical application of developing a program for breeding and the selection of favourable genetics to improve their honey bee stock. Instruction through this workshop will provide interested beekeepers and existing breeders with formal training to adopt breeding components and skills practiced in the Ontario Resistant Honey Bee Selection Program (ORHBS). 

 

Workshop attendees will learn about assessing and selecting for characteristics including: overwintering ability, spring build-up, low defensive behaviour, honey production, comb stability, hygienic behaviour, tracheal mite resistance, and queen longevity. In addition, the assessment of observational hive characteristics and application of selection spreadsheets will be applied to bee breeding. This workshop will provide training for new breeders and expansion of existing breeding programs to ensure high quality honey bee stock is available for Ontario’s beekeeping industry.

 

Having completed the original Queen Rearing workshop is a prerequisite for this workshop. Having equivalent experience and familiarity with queen rearing processes will be considered.