Breeding Program

The WSU honey bee selection and Breeding Program continues into its second decade. Our program allows for the maintenance of diverse genetic stock of honey bees through the United States because we hold the only USDA APHIS permit to import honey bee germplasm.

The WSU Breeding Program is focused toward developing honey bee genetic lines that exhibit a measure of resistance or tolerance to common honey bee pathogens and parasites. This program is designed to enhance US honey bee diversity through importation of honey bee semen from Old World sources, evaluation of progeny and distribution of germplasm to the queen production industry. The use of instrumental insemination (I.I.) allows us to ensure queens are bred with Old World semen, increasing the genetic diversity of honey bees throughout the U.S.

Selection Methods for Honey Bee Breeding

This national award-winning video provides beekeepers with the knowledge they need to implement a successful breeding program. These methods were used to develop the New World Carniolan breeding program more than 40 years ago, and in the development of The WSU project breeder queens. This closed population breeding program was designed by Drs. Page and Laidlaw offers beekeepers a pragmatic way of stock selection and improvement. The video covers the basics of honey bee breeding, selection methods, and how to avoid costly mistakes that can lead to inbreeding.

Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens

The technique of instrumental insemination is presented here step by step. This video includes a brief historical overview, the procedures of semen collection, and insemination of queens include troubleshooting to avoid common mistakes. Procedures for the short-term semen storage and the shipping of semen are also presented.

Cryopreservation of Honey Bee Semen

See how to properly preserve honey bee semen cryogenically with Brandon Hopkins.