Understanding Honey Bee Genetics and Breeding  

TL;DR: Honey bee behavior is governed by a unique genetic system called haplodiploidy, where the interplay of queen and drone DNA dictates the colony's temperament and productivity. Understanding this biological blueprint empowers beekeepers to breed better bees and solve hive issues by manipulating genetics. 
 

• Unique Inheritance: Unlike humans, male bees (drones) are haploid and have no father, while female bees are diploid, resulting in complex family trees of "super-sisters" and "half-sisters." 

• Genetic Diversity: Queens mate with up to 20 drones during their nuptial flight to create a resilient workforce capable of handling environmental stress and disease. 

• Selective Breeding: Beekeepers can select for desirable traits such as docility, surplus honey production, and Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) to reduce mite loads naturally. 

• Hive Management: Changing a struggling or aggressive colony is as simple as requeening; within six weeks, the new queen's genetics will completely replace the old workforce.  

Sometimes, when you walk into an apiary, you come across a gentle, productive hive. Meanwhile, the hive beside it might be full of defensive, angry bees. Since both colonies share an apiary, they are likely getting the same food and care. Why, then, is each hive’s behavior so distinct? 

The answer typically comes down to bee genetics. Understanding honey bee genetics and breeding, and their role in dictating bee behavior, is a critical skill for fledgling beekeepers to master. It empowers you to make the wisest possible choice when choosing queens for your hive.  

In this blog, we’ll explore the unique way bees reproduce and how breeding affects your backyard apiary. Continue reading to learn how to breed gentle, hygienic, and productive bees, and why DNA matters.   

Understanding Diploidy and Haploidy 

In most of the animal kingdom, an individual gets one set of chromosomes from their mother and one from their father. This is called being "diploid. Honey bees, however, operate on a unique system called arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, which boils down to two states: diploidy and haploidy.  

In essence, female bees (queen and worker bees) are diploid, and male bees (or drones) are haploid. 

All female bees are produced from a fertilized egg, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes. One set is from the queen (mother) and one set is from the drone (father).  

Male bees, however, are produced from unfertilized eggs. As a result, the drone only has one set of chromosomes from the queen bee. This means that when a drone mates, he passes on 100% of his genetic material to his daughters, making the father's genetic influence incredibly strong in the hive. 

The Reproduction of a Bee 

The reproduction of a bee colony is an event known as the "nuptial flight." During this process, a virgin queen flies out to a "Drone Congregation Area" where she mates with up to 20 males in mid-air. She stores this sperm in a special organ called the spermatheca for the rest of her life. Queens can live up to five years.  

Mating with so many drones offers the hive genetic diversity, ensuring a wider variety of traits. This diversity makes the colony more resilient to diseases and better able to handle environmental stress. 

Are All Bees Related?  

Technically, all bees within a colony share the same mother: the queen bee. However, the worker bees in the hive are a mix of "super-sisters" and "half-sisters." 

Super-sisters are workers who share both a mother and a father, and share 75% of their genes. Half-sisters are workers who have the same mother but a different father. This means hives are full of sub-families, also known as patrilines. It explains why you might see slightly different bee behavior, even within the same colony.  

What Traits Matter When Breeding Bees?  

Beekeepers and queen breeders selectively breed bees to isolate specific desirable traits. If you order a specific breed of bee (like an Italian or Carniolan), you are paying for specific genetics. 

Here are the traits beekeepers tend to look for: 

Temperament 

Aggression is a genetic trait. By breeding only gentle queens with gentle drones, breeders can create "docile" stock. If your colony is overaggressive, the solution is to requeen to help introduce gentler genes.  

Honey Production 

Some bees are genetically predisposed to hoard massive amounts of resources. These bees will continue foraging even when they have enough food. That means the beekeeper can harvest more honey without harming the bees.  

Hygienic Behavior 

Some bees have a genetic trait that drives them to detect and remove diseased or mite-infested brood. "VSH" (Varroa Sensitive Hygiene) bees are bred specifically to help fight the war against Varroa mites without chemical intervention. 

Swarming Tendency 

Some bees are genetically more prone to swarming than others. Ideally, breeders aim to select for bees with a lower swarming tendency. This allows the colony to grow strong without constantly trying to split.  

Controlling Genetics in Your Apiary 

Every time you buy a queen, you are making a genetic choice. If you buy a "local survivor" queen, you are choosing genetics adapted to your specific climate. If you buy a "Saskatraz" or "Russian" queen, you are choosing genetics bred for mite resistance and winter hardiness. 

Likewise, if you find your hive is struggling, it’s not hard to shift the entire genetic makeup of your hive. All you need to do is replace the queen. It generally takes about six weeks for the old bees to die off, and the colony will be entirely populated by the daughters of the new queen.  

The Final Buzz on Bee Genetics 

While you can’t see chromosomes with the naked eye, you can definitely see the results in the behavior and productivity of your hive! Understanding the basics of honey bee genetics and breeding is key to your success as a beekeeper. 

Are you new to beekeeping, or curious about getting started with this unique and fulfilling hobby? Start with our Beekeeper’s Bible, a beginner’s guide to all things beekeeping!