2006 Saskatraz Report

Saskatraz 2005 selections and Potential Release of Breeding Stock to SBA Members 2006.

Albert J. Robertson, Meadow Ridge Enterprises Ltd. Box 1, GS 602, RR6; Saskatoon, SK S7K 3J9 Phone: (306) 373-9140; email: aj.robertson@sasktel.net

Part 1 The Saskatraz Project

The 2005 results of our breeding prograrn were presented at our annual SBA convention in Saskatoon (February 1-4), in Quebec City at the Canadian Honey Council meetings (January 24-28) and in Houston, Texas at the American Honey Producers Associations annual meeting (January 10-14). Considerable interest was expressed in Saskatraz genetics at all meetings and some new collaborations involving selections and mo}ecular marker analysis will be taking place in the future.

The objective of our research program is to identify by natural selection productive, gentle, honey bees with some tolerance to mites and brood diseases. In addition, correlation of beneficial traits with molecular markers will be attempted. This will potentially eliminate the time consuming and expensive conventional process now needed to identify lines with tolerance to mites and brood diseases.

Saskatraz was established in 2004 with 35 pre-selected colonies from fourteen different queen breeders, reselected Russian stock, (2000 to 2004) and breeding lines from the Manitoba Queen Breeders Association (MBQA). The MBQA is working with Dr. Rob Currie at the University of Manitoba. In 2005, 14 more selections were placed at Saskatraz with crosses made between Russian and German lines (Dr. Ralph Buchler) in 2004 and with additional selections from Canadian lines.

We are maintaining four apiaries with "near pure" Russian lines established by back crossing selections released from Baton Rouge, USDA between 2000 and 2005. These apiaries are available for re-selection of Russian stock for evaluation at Saskatraz. The Russian program is nearing completion and the USDA, at Baton Rouge, La., (Dr. Tom Rinderer) in association with Charlie Harper (Russian Breeder Queen producer for USDA) and collaborating beekeepers producing Russian stock in the USA are forming a Russian Queen Breeders Association. As a member of this association we will be collaborating with USDA labs, Baton Rouge in identifying true Russian breeding stock by using our microsatellite DNA marker analyses system, we developed at the SRC, GenServe Labs, using SBA and CARDS funding.

In 2005, more honey bee semen was imported from Dr. Buchler's program in Germany. Dr. Buchler's program involves selection for varroa tolerance, honey production, grooming and hygienic behaviour. Susan Cobey assisted us in making 35 new crosses with this semen, (G-08 and G-72) by instrumental insemination of virgin queens from the following selected lines (yellow-green-05, yellow-blue-05, UM-163, 234, 147, SAT 28, 30 and BTP-30). Yellow-green-05 and yellow-blue-05 virgin queens were derived from Russian breeder queens obtained from Charlie Harper in 2006, UM lines were obtained from Dr. Rob Currie at the University of Manitoba, SAT-28 and 30 virgin queens were obtained from SAT-28 and SAT-30 selections made at Saskatraz. BTP-30 is a breeder queen obtained by crossing a Buckfast queen with Russian P-30 drones. Some daughters of this cross were inseminated with G-08 and G-72 semen

Colonies resulting from these crosses are now wintering and will be evaluated in 2006, and selections made for testing at Saskatraz.

No chemical mite treatments are being made at Saskatraz and natural selection is being used to identify tolerant phenotypes. Our primary selections made in May 2005, involved wintering ability, (spring populations, brood pattem, etc) gentleness, lack of brood diseases and general queen and economic hive characters. Honey production and mite populations were monitored throughout the summer. Honey production was given top priority and Figure 1 shows the results of colony honey production during the summer of 2005. Three colonies produced over 300 Ibs (SAT-17, 14 and 30) and three over 250 lbs (SAT-18, 25, 34). The two colonies with the highest tracheal mite levels (12 to 14%) in October 2005, being SAT-08 and SAT-31, produced 208 and 142 Ibs of honey respectively (Fig 1.). SAT-06 (10% Varroa) and 26 (30% Varroa) showed the highest levels of varroa population growth as determined by alcohol wash in October 2005 and produced 147 and 159 Ibs of honey respectively (Figure 1).

In 2004 all colonies selected for Saskatraz were thoroughly evaluated for the presence of both tracheal and varroa mites. No tracheal mites were detected in any of the colonies after two independent samples of 100 bees/colony; therefore all colonies were infected in the fall of 2004 with 200 to 300 worker bees collected from a colony showing 60% tracheal mite infestation (John Gruszka, personal communication). Tracheal mite levels were monitored on a monthly basis from May 2005, to October 2005. Figure 2 shows spring and fall tracheal mite populations detected in individual hives at Saskatraz..

Fourteen colonies showed tracheal mite infestations between 1 and 14 % one year after infestation with 200 to 300 bees having a 60 % infestation. Sixteen did not show any detectable mite levels. However, some colonies showed trace tracheal mite levels in May05 (i.e. SAT-22 and 33) but no detectable levels in October-05. Some colonies maintained low tracheal mite levels. For example, Sat-30 showed 1% tracheal mite in August, 0 in September and 1% in October-05. Other colonies are showing increased tracheal mite levels with time (i.e. SAT 08 and 31) In general the increase in tracheal mite population growth was less than the varroa mite population growth in Saskatraz colonies.

Evaluation of colonies for varroa mites in 2004 (July-August) showed wide variations in varroa populations. Eighteen colonies tested positive with trace levels to 50 mites detected by natural drop per day. Tn seventeen colonies no mites were detected by natural drop analysis in a 28-day test. In order to normalize varroa mite populations all colonies were treated with Apistan for 14 days in the fall of 2004 (October 1-14). Varroa mites were detected in all colonies in October 2004. No further treatments were made and varroa population growth was monitored in each colony from May 7 to October 15, 2005. Monitoring was performed by measuring the natural drop rate of varroa mites on sticky boards as described by Martin, S.J. 1998. (Ecological modeling 109; 267-281) on a weekly basis. Varroa populations were also determined by the alcohol wash method on a monthly basis in samples of approximately 200 to 300 bees per colony

Extracted from the SBA Newsletter, Vol.11, No. 2, 2006


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2006 Saskatraz Report Saskatraz 2005 selections and Potential Release of Breeding Stock to SBA Members 2006. Albert J. Robertson, Meadow Ridge Enterprises Ltd. Box 1, GS 602, RR6; Saskatoon, SK S7K 3J9 Phone: (306) 373-9140; email: aj.robertson@sasktel.net Part 1 The Saskatraz Project The 2005 results of our breeding prograrn were presented at our annual SBA convention in Saskatoon (February 1-4), in Quebec City at the Canadian Honey Council meetings (January 24-28) and in Houston, Texas at the American Honey Producers Associations annual meeting (January 10-14). Considerable interest was expressed in Saskatraz genetics at all meetings and some new collaborations involving selections and mo}ecular marker analysis will be taking place in the future. The objective of our research program is to identify by natural selection productive, gentle, honey bees with some tolerance to mites and brood diseases. In addition, correlation of beneficial traits with molecular markers will be attempted. This will potentially eliminate the time consuming and expensive conventional process now needed to identify lines with tolerance to mites and brood diseases. Saskatraz was established in 2004 with 35 pre-selected colonies from fourteen different queen breeders, reselected Russian stock, (2000 to 2004) and breeding lines from the Manitoba Queen Breeders Association (MBQA). The MBQA is working with Dr. Rob Currie at the University of Manitoba. In 2005, 14 more selections were placed at Saskatraz with crosses made between Russian and German lines (Dr. Ralph Buchler) in 2004 and with additional selections from Canadian lines. We are maintaining four apiaries with "near pure" Russian lines established by back crossing selections released from Baton Rouge, USDA between 2000 and 2005. These apiaries are available for re-selection of Russian stock for evaluation at Saskatraz. The Russian program is nearing completion and the USDA, at Baton Rouge, La., (Dr. Tom Rinderer) in association with Charlie Harper (Russian Breeder Queen producer for USDA) and collaborating beekeepers producing Russian stock in the USA are forming a Russian Queen Breeders Association. As a member of this association we will be collaborating with USDA labs, Baton Rouge in identifying true Russian breeding stock by using our microsatellite DNA marker analyses system, we developed at the SRC, GenServe Labs, using SBA and CARDS funding. In 2005, more honey bee semen was imported from Dr. Buchler's program in Germany. Dr. Buchler's program involves selection for varroa tolerance, honey production, grooming and hygienic behaviour. Susan Cobey assisted us in making 35 new crosses with this semen, (G-08 and G-72) by instrumental insemination of virgin queens from the following selected lines (yellow-green-05, yellow-blue-05, UM-163, 234, 147, SAT 28, 30 and BTP-30). Yellow-green-05 and yellow-blue-05 virgin queens were derived from Russian breeder queens obtained from Charlie Harper in 2006, UM lines were obtained from Dr. Rob Currie at the University of Manitoba, SAT-28 and 30 virgin queens were obtained from SAT-28 and SAT-30 selections made at Saskatraz. BTP-30 is a breeder queen obtained by crossing a Buckfast queen with Russian P-30 drones. Some daughters of this cross were inseminated with G-08 and G-72 semen Colonies resulting from these crosses are now wintering and will be evaluated in 2006, and selections made for testing at Saskatraz. No chemical mite treatments are being made at Saskatraz and natural selection is being used to identify tolerant phenotypes. Our primary selections made in May 2005, involved wintering ability, (spring populations, brood pattem, etc) gentleness, lack of brood diseases and general queen and economic hive characters. Honey production and mite populations were monitored throughout the summer. Honey production was given top priority and Figure 1 shows the results of colony honey production during the summer of 2005. Three colonies produced over 300 Ibs (SAT-17, 14 and 30) and three over 250 lbs (SAT-18, 25, 34). The two colonies with the highest tracheal mite levels (12 to 14%) in October 2005, being SAT-08 and SAT-31, produced 208 and 142 Ibs of honey respectively (Fig 1.). SAT-06 (10% Varroa) and 26 (30% Varroa) showed the highest levels of varroa population growth as determined by alcohol wash in October 2005 and produced 147 and 159 Ibs of honey respectively (Figure 1). In 2004 all colonies selected for Saskatraz were thoroughly evaluated for the presence of both tracheal and varroa mites. No tracheal mites were detected in any of the colonies after two independent samples of 100 bees/colony; therefore all colonies were infected in the fall of 2004 with 200 to 300 worker bees collected from a colony showing 60% tracheal mite infestation (John Gruszka, personal communication). Tracheal mite levels were monitored on a monthly basis from May 2005, to October 2005. Figure 2 shows spring and fall tracheal mite populations detected in individual hives at Saskatraz.. Fourteen colonies showed tracheal mite infestations between 1 and 14 % one year after infestation with 200 to 300 bees having a 60 % infestation. Sixteen did not show any detectable mite levels. However, some colonies showed trace tracheal mite levels in May05 (i.e. SAT-22 and 33) but no detectable levels in October-05. Some colonies maintained low tracheal mite levels. For example, Sat-30 showed 1% tracheal mite in August, 0 in September and 1% in October-05. Other colonies are showing increased tracheal mite levels with time (i.e. SAT 08 and 31) In general the increase in tracheal mite population growth was less than the varroa mite population growth in Saskatraz colonies. Evaluation of colonies for varroa mites in 2004 (July-August) showed wide variations in varroa populations. Eighteen colonies tested positive with trace levels to 50 mites detected by natural drop per day. Tn seventeen colonies no mites were detected by natural drop analysis in a 28-day test. In order to normalize varroa mite populations all colonies were treated with Apistan for 14 days in the fall of 2004 (October 1-14). Varroa mites were detected in all colonies in October 2004. No further treatments were made and varroa population growth was monitored in each colony from May 7 to October 15, 2005. Monitoring was performed by measuring the natural drop rate of varroa mites on sticky boards as described by Martin, S.J. 1998. (Ecological modeling 109; 267-281) on a weekly basis. Varroa populations were also determined by the alcohol wash method on a monthly basis in samples of approximately 200 to 300 bees per colony *Extracted from the SBA Newsletter, Vol.11, No. 2, 2006*