SummaryHoney bee queens are highly polyandrous and mate in flight. Instrumental insemination is an essential tool that provides complete control of honey bee mating for research and breeding purposes. The technique requires specialized equipment to anesthetize and immobilize the queen and to collect and deliver semen from the drones. Semen is harvested from mature drones by hand eversion of the endophallus and collected into a syringe. The queen is placed in a chamber and anesthetized during the procedure of insertion of semen into the oviducts. Queens are introduced into colonies and their performance can equal to that of naturally mated queens, given proper technique and care. Métodos estándar para la inseminación artificial de reinas de Apis mellifera ResumenLas reinas de las abejas melíferas presentan un elevado grado de poliandria y se aparean durante el vuelo. La inseminación artificial es una herramienta esencial que proporciona un control completo del apareamiento de las abejas con fines de investigación y de cría. La técnica requiere de un equipo especializado para anestesiar e inmovilizar a la reina y para colectar y administrar el semen de los zánganos. El semen se obtiene de zánganos maduros por eversión manual del endofalo y se recoge en una jeringa. La reina se coloca en una cámara y se mantiene anestesiada durante el proceso de inserción del semen en los oviductos. Las reinas se introducen en las colonias y su rendimiento puede ser igual al de las reinas que se aparearon de forma natural, si se realiza la técnica y se da la atención adecuada.

-Instrumental insemination, a reliable method to control honey bee mating, is an essential tool for research and stock improvement. A review of studies compare colony performance of instrumentally inseminated queens, IIQs, and naturally mated queens, NMQs. Factors affecting queen performance are also reviewed. The collective results of the data demonstrate that the different methodologies used, in the treatment of queens, has a significant affect on performance rather than the insemination procedure. Beekeeping practices can optimize or inhibit performance. The competitive performance of IIQs is demonstrated when queens are given proper care. The advantage of selection and a known semen dosage can result in higher performance levels of IIQs.Apis mellifera / queen honey bees / instrumental insemination / colony performance

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