A question about drones.

[mazzamazda]

Ok, as the title suggests I have a question about drones....

If say for example you have a F0 Buckfast hive with queen. Then you make a queen an egg/larvae from that hive, the new queen is born a virgin F0. She then mates with black drones, she is then a Buckfast F1 for example. Her workers are F1 workers however if she lays unfertilised eggs (Drones) are they F1 or F0?

 

[B+.]

I have a question about drones....

Think of it as generation number.
If you buy a queen, this is generation 0. Its progeny are generation 1. Now, if you create a daughter queen, that is generation 1 and its progeny are generation 2, etc.
If you start looking at the relationships, things get complicated really quickly. So, its best not to start thinking about brother, sister, aunt, uncle, etc. It'll drive you nuts! Remember though: a queen is the sister (full or half) of all the workers in her mothers colony. Her mothers drones are her brothers. Her drones are her sons.

 

[Beefriendly]

Her workers are F1 workers however if she lays unfertilised eggs (Drones) are they F1 or F0?

Assuming you bought an island or isolated mating station queen, then any drones arising from her daughters are still Buckfast drones (F0 in your terms).

 

[MadAnt]

Drones have no father. Closest male relative is their grandfather on mother's side. So...

 

[pargyle]

Yes ... Try explaining bee genetics to a non-beekeeper .... indeed, there's a lot of beekeepers who don't get it either !

 

[Millet]

Drones have no father. Closest male relative is their grandfather on mother's side. So...

Drones may not have multiple live fathers but they still carry DNA from the dead father side surely.

 

[B+.]

Drones may not have multiple live fathers but they still carry DNA from the dead father side surely.

No.
The drone has no father. He comes from an unfertilised egg and is the product of parthenogenesis. He inherits all of his genetic information from his mother.
The drone has grandsons and a grandfather though

 

[Millet]

No.
The drone has no father. He comes from an unfertilised egg and is the product of parthenogenesis. He inherits all of his genetic information from his mother.
The drone has grandsons and a grandfather though

Thanks for that i have got my head around it now, it is not something i have really thought about or read about.