Instrumental Insemination

[beebreeder]

How many beekepers have we on the forum that are into II, I am keen on II and have the kit but find it difficult to source the consumables during the season, ie saline solution, I can get it from a friend in the trade but do not like asking for favours, I have been told that contact lens solution is o/k but only one or two are actually sterile and therefore safe to use in II could we start a thread on II to share ideas/ equipment types.
regards
kev

 

[victor meldrew]

You've just started it, sit back and wait for the replies.

John Wilkinson

 

[Hivemaker.]

Simple Saline Solution- 100 ml.
100 ml. distilled water
1.0 g. sodium chloride
0.25 g. dihydrostreptomycin

Tris-Buffer Diluent- 100 ml.

100 ml. distilled water
1.11 g. sodium chloride
0.10 g. glucose
0.01 g. L - lysine
0.01 g. L - arginine
0.01 g. L - glutamic acid
0.329 g. Trizma HCL
0.329 g. Trizma base
0.25 g dihydrostreptomycin

Note:
You can also use this antibiotic instead of dihydrostreptomycin

Gentomycin sulfate, cell culture tested ( 250 micrograms per mill. )



Gentamycin 0.462g in 10ml sterile distilled water

Add the antibiotic solution to 1 Liter buffer just before use.

The antibiotic in only viable for about 5 antibiotic days in solution


Water Source
The water source used to make up solutions is important. Use double distilled water. When mixing or storing semen it is best to use HPLC (high pressure liquid chromotography) water.


Ph
The pH should be adjusted to 8.7-8.9. If the pH is too high use dilute HCL to adjust. If the pH is too low use NaOH to adjust.

To Sterilize
Bacteriological filtering is recommended. Use filter with a pore size of 0.2 um. Solutions can also be sterilized by heating to 250 F for 30 minutes. Note that heating will denature the antibiotic, add this after the solution has cooled.

Or Amo lens plus,ocupure,which is used by R williams in Ireland,you can strilise it further yourself once opened,or i'm advised by Norton that steri neb works well,and is simpler than some of the above.

 

[Hivemaker.]

In a conversation i had with Joe Latshaw he described what he uses.........

I am actually using a product called SafeCell. I think the company that makes it is call IMV International. It is a sterile liquid concentrate used for Swine semen. I have used it for many years and after altering the dilution ratio to more closely match the osmolarity of bee semen. If you have access to the SafeCell, I would highly recommend that you use that instead of the TRIS solution. With the SafeCell, all you do is add distilled water and filter!

 

[Repwoc]

Hot stuff

Solutions can also be sterilized by heating to 350 F for 30 minutes.

That's almost 177C - I think you're going to need some serious kit (high pressure) to get it that hot. A pressure cooker or autoclave will achieve ~122C = ~252F at 2 atm (ie +1 atm over normal atmospheric pressure). To keep water liquid at 177C will need a pressure of about 10 atm (+9 atm).

Paul

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hi,
yes pressed the wrong button,3 is supposed to be a 2, and you do use an autclave,or pressure cooker, instruments in autoclave bags,and indicator tape as well to check items have reached correct temp.
Welcome to the forum Repwoc,and thank you,which saline do you use...

 

[BKF Admin]

Hi Paul,welcome to the forum.

 

[Repwoc]

Welcome to the forum Repwoc,and thank you,which saline do you use...

Thanks.

Well, none as yet - I think II is a bit advanced for me for now. This is my first year as a beekeeper (after a couple of false starts over the years). I bought my first hive at auction at Hartpury in May and ordered a nuc from a bee farmer who had a stand at the same event. I took delivery of the bees on 31st May and they are now pretty well established after some queen issues in the first couple of months. I obtained a couple more nucs in August which will over-winter in the "home apiary" (aka back garden).

Planning to expand and raising some queens next year. I've got three (maybe four) out-apiary sites organised so just getting down to doing the woodwork in preparation.

This forum is a great resource for people like me - and often amusing into the bargain. Thanks for all the tips!

Paul

 

[VEG]

Welcome repwoc from another South wales beekeeper

 

[beebreeder]

As I started this, thanks for the info hivemaker but I do not have scales that go that accurate and cannot access the antibiotics without asking a favour from Tony, he has supplied all saline/tris buffer before but do not like keep asking favours, so I thought this would open a new thread and share some info at the same time and give me a source for next season

 

[Hivemaker.]

You can easily source the antibiotic from your local vet,scales are quite cheap,but its ok not to use antibiotic,instead keep eveything vey clean, sterile,in fact most others i have spoken with prefer not to use antibiotic. Can sort out a source for you if you have any problems though,don't suppose you would like a couple of litres of chloroform..lol.

 

[beebreeder]

Admn
I have a queen rearing record in electronic format and wondered if forum members could use it, how do I upload it?
Regards
Kev (Beebreeder South Wilts)

 

[BDaddy]

Fascinating Subject

A warm welcome from me too. Good idea starting this thread. I've been looking into II for a couple of months now so and not really got any farther than the very basics. Does anyone have any ideas where to get hold of the equipment and some suitable in depth reading material. I know about Susan Cobey and her site but little else.

 

[marcros]

the Cobey DVD is very good.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The full Cobey vidio is very good,here are some clips from it,plus other helpful sites and eqipment. Michael Collier would be another helpful person you could contact.

http://www.besamungsgeraet.de/__en/the-insemination-process/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csjy020fpyI


http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/02000017460220000000_lo.asx

 

[BDaddy]

Brilliant....thanks for the references, I'll take a look at these. I was toying with the idea of getting a copy of the Cobey DVD.

 

[BKF Admin]

Admn
I have a queen rearing record in electronic format and wondered if forum members could use it, how do I upload it?
Regards
Kev (Beebreeder South Wilts)

If you look on the top row of the message box it has a paperclip,just click that and point to the file on your computer and hit upload and it will add it to your post.

 

[propolis]

Insemination Equipment

Hi, if your really interested in purchasing a professional insemination apparatus, I could supply you with a basic swienty apparatus @ £1000, a saving of over £500 on the current new price. I should think you would have to spend at least the same amount again to get the microscope and all the other various bits and bobs to go with it though.

A warm welcome from me too. Good idea starting this thread. I've been looking into II for a couple of months now so and not really got any farther than the very basics. Does anyone have any ideas where to get hold of the equipment and some suitable in depth reading material. I know about Susan Cobey and her site but little else.

 

[beebreeder]

Michael Collier makes a very good quality II unit and as far as I know its uk made and a microscope needs to be bought extra but hi power is not needed for II, if you know what you want ebay has loads of scopes for auction, find attached a queen rearing record card for anyone to copyView attachment 1200 Original document designed for jenter but can be adapted for use by anyone its timing thats important thanks to Tony