Instrumental insemination

[aberreef]

I was just reading another post and was wondering if instrumental insemination is possible for the hobbyist. I've seen a few videos on youtube but they don't explain much, just show the act as it were.

AI would seem to be the best way of selective breeding and less likely to lose a queen to the great outdoors.

Just off to do some Googling

 

[theengraver]

Hi
perfect for the hobbyist its just starting up can be very expencive
£2 - £3K

 

[susbees]

The issue with II is getting enough practice to be very good at it. And cost of course.

 

[aberreef]

Hi
perfect for the hobbyist its just starting up can be very expencive
£2 - £3K

Yikes thats a bit steep

 

[theengraver]

The equptment used is V expencive it not just a case of using a bit of this and a bit of that. If you are not commited to spending as much as it takes to get the correct equiptment Give up now
many have tried to do it on the cheap and fail
And when you have everything you need to practice practice practace
you will need a steady supply of queens and many many hundreds of fertile drones
you aslo have to be ultra clean to prevent infection of the queen

 

[m100]

Due to my really bad eyesight I have been working on an alternative approach to conventional designs of manipulators that mean even the really ham fisted (like me) could do II.

If you have some engineering expertise and access to the appropriate machine tools you can DIY the manipulator similar to that used in commercial designs. The cost in materials is probably about what a first grade national box would be from Thornes - 40 quid.

Some of the complicated bits like the the hooks maybe 100 quid off the shelf from one of the commercial suppliers. About a tenner if you DIY (not easy but it is possible) Add in a CO2 system with an accurate flow regulator another 50 quid. Another 50 quid on a suitable dispensing mechanism and then a microscope if you don't already have one.

I reckon on 3-400 quid max and a few of weeks of evenings in a well equipped workshop.

Then the hard part starts

There is lots of info online... if you know how to use google.

 

[theengraver]

hi
don`t forget the little bits like bacteria filters, sterile water, Gas wash bottle for your O2,
the list goes on and on you say 50 quid on a suitable dispensing mechanism i would love to see that whent trying to inseminate 8 to 12 micro litres

 

[wightbees]

The cheapest II i have found is 550.00 you get the manipulator
for this.you then have to buy syringe, microscope ,and lots more.
i have found another type of lab manipulator and these look pretty
good. they sale from three hundred down in price.
I was gutted to miss one at six quid .but time is the essence,so they say

 

[aberreef]

I'm sure I could manage a few bits and pieces. I've already got a co2 meter from my fish tank and can get plenty of sterile saline from work. Its the manipulating pieces that would be a problem.

I'd like to have a go but at. £1000+ it'd take me 50 years to recoup the money unless I started selling queens (no intentions there atm). £500 is getting closer to my price range

 

[RoseCottage]

I guess another way would be to try and het others interested in your local association or beekeeping circle. Spread the cost, learn together, timeshare the production and bees later...

All the best,

Sam

 

[Norton]

Hello,
Apart from the expense and skill in using the AI, the operator must also be have some idea about genetics and how to select and breed bees for the characteristics desired.
Best regards
Norton

 

[rickvv]

I'm sure I could manage a few bits and pieces. I've already got a co2 meter from my fish tank and can get plenty of sterile saline from work. Its the manipulating pieces that would be a problem.

I'd like to have a go but at. £1000+ it'd take me 50 years to recoup the money unless I started selling queens (no intentions there atm). £500 is getting closer to my price range

You could have a talk with Michael Collier (Cornbrook Bee Farm 01584 890 236), who has insemination equipment for sale closer to your price range.
I would like to stress that any equipment is little use until you have gone on a II course (Michael may also help with that)

 

[rickvv]

I'm sure I could manage a few bits and pieces. I've already got a co2 meter from my fish tank and can get plenty of sterile saline from work. Its the manipulating pieces that would be a problem.

I'd like to have a go but at. £1000+ it'd take me 50 years to recoup the money unless I started selling queens (no intentions there atm). £500 is getting closer to my price range

You could have a talk with Michael Collier (Cornbrook Bee Farm 01584 890 236), who has insemination equipment for sale closer to your price range.
I would like to stress that any equipment is little use until you have gone on a II course (Michael may also help with that).
You will also need lots of virgin queens, and (weather dependent) a near infinite supply of drones!

 

[Poly Hive]

Yup the one item that most over look or never get to grips with is just how many drones are needed. LOTS

When I was at Marburg they were running an II course and they used a bike to run to the colonies and back and the shout was ever "more drones"

There is a great deal connected with II and frankly to do it properly is I suspect way beyond most of us, certainly I.

PH

 

[susbees]

Spot on PH: we bang on about queen production but at the same time many beekeepers still see drones as eaters of their precious honey crop and a bit of a waste of space, and, of course now the target of IPM not exactly raising the poor creatures' image! But for effective queen rearing and II a large supply of excellent drones is at least half of the equation.

 

[Crg]

Hi
perfect for the hobbyist its just starting up can be very expencive
£2 - £3K

It can be much cheaper than that, though I noticed today the equipment I use has gone up in price.

 

[aberreef]

Spot on PH: we bang on about queen production but at the same time many beekeepers still see drones as eaters of their precious honey crop and a bit of a waste of space, and, of course now the target of IPM not exactly raising the poor creatures' image! But for effective queen rearing and II a large supply of excellent drones is at least half of the equation.

Got plenty of drones, enough to share if anyone wants some The TBH is a drone making machine, there's thousands of 'em.

I'm pretty much self taught with the beekeeping, assisted by you helpfull lot and on occassion the gent I bought my bees from. I'm starting to think II might be out of my league for a while though. I've been reading around the net and it's all quite baffling (probably because I haven't got the kit in front of me).

I'm sure I'll come back to II in a few years time, especially if my hobby carries on growing at its present rate. For now I'll be sticking with the old fashioned way