Genetic Parameters of Honey Bee Colonies Traits in a Canadian Selection Program

Abstract

Genetic selection has led to spectacular advances in animal production in many domestic species. However, it is still little applied to honey bees (Apis mellifera), whose complex genetic and reproductive characteristics are a challenge to model statistically. Advances in informatics now enable creation of a statistical model consistent with honey bee genetics, and, consequently, genetic selection for this species. The aim of this project was to determine the genetic parameters of several traits important for Canadian beekeepers with a view to establishing a breeding program in a northern context. Our results show that the five traits measured (Varroa destructor infestation, spring development, honey production, winter consumption, and hygienic behavior) are heritable. Thus, the rate of V. destructor infestation has a high heritability (h2 = 0.44 ± 0.56), spring development and honey production have a medium heritability (respectively, h2 = 0.30 ± 0.14 and h2 = 0.20 ± 0.13), and winter consumption and hygienic behavior have a low heritability (respectively, h2 = 0.11 ± 0.09 and h2 = 0.18 ± 0.13). Furthermore, the genetic correlations between these traits are all positive or null, except between hygienic behavior and V. destructor infestation level. These genetic parameters will be instrumental to the development of a selection index that will be used to improve the capacity of honey bees to thrive in northern conditions.

Successful Indoor Mass Storage of Honeybee Queens (Apis mellifera) during Winter

“…The technique described here allows a large quantity of queens to be stored in a single colony that could be applied on a commercial scale by beekeepers and queen breeders. Our results also support using this approach as an innovative and successful way to improve the self-sufficiency of the Canadian beekeeping industry, as well as conservation efforts of local honeybee diversity and honeybee breeding programs [32,33].…”

Simulation studies to optimize genomic selection in honey bees

“…Accuracies for queens and worker groups cannot be directly compared, since different genetic variances must be used to estimate genetic gain from them. Therefore, we rescaled ρ pW to an accuracy of queens, ρ pR (R for replacement queen) as: (16)…”

“…In schemes with controlled mating, DPQ are usually not performance-tested, and only BQ can be selected as dams of BQ or as dams of DPQ. Although some populations are built without controlled mating [15,16], in our work, we considered only Fig. 1 Population structure of a honey bee population under controlled mating.…”

Association between the Microsatellite Ap243, AC117 and SV185 Polymorphisms and Nosema Disease in the Dark Forest Bee Apis mellifera mellifera

“…Varroosis is one of the most devastating diseases of the brood caused by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. Hygiene behavior has been shown to provide significant resistance against the Varroa mite [ 13 , 30 ]. QTL studies of Varroa resistance behavior in honey bees have identified over 20 suggestive QTLs in different genomic regions [ 14 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 31 ].…”

“…It is assumed that the honey bee subspecies (lines and colonies) differ in their resistance to disease, which may be determined by social immunity including hygienic and other types of behavior [ 13 , 15 , 30 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 ]. For example, in A. mellifera , hygienic and grooming behaviors are expressed more highly in Africanized honey bees than in European ones.…”