Mating control is the side of breeding that determines half the genetics and is the hardest to control.

The source of the difficulty

A queen mates in the air, away from the hive, with many drones that come from a wide area.

In open mating the paternal side is therefore unknown. However good the queen line chosen, the outcome is shaped by the genetics of the surrounding area.

Options for control

Open mating

The easiest route. It preserves natural diversity and needs no equipment. But the paternal side cannot be controlled.

Improving the drone pool in the area is the only intervention available: leave drone comb in selected colonies.

Isolated mating site

Set up where there are no other colonies nearby, with only selected drone colonies placed there.

Control increases markedly; it is not complete, but it is far better than open mating.

Instrumental insemination

The only method giving full control. It requires equipment, training and time, and is not suited to volume production.

Drone production

This is the forgotten half of control. Drones must be deliberately raised in selected colonies.

• Give a drone frame
• Drones take time to mature; start before queen rearing
• Keep drone colonies strong and well fed

This can conflict with the drone frame used for Varroa control; which colony serves which purpose has to be separated.

Progeny control

The quality of a queen can only be judged once her offspring emerge.

• Tightness of the brood pattern
• Whether there is drone brood in worker cells
• The colony's behaviour
• Rate of development

Raised drone brood in worker cells shows the queen mated inadequately; such a queen should be replaced.

Weather

Mating flights require suitable weather. A long spell of poor weather can leave a queen inadequately mated or unmated.

Production should therefore be planned for a period of settled weather.