How many drone colonies do you need?

摘要

A big question for queen producers to answer is how many drone mother colonies (colonies headed by a queen of a particular genetic type) are needed to insure adequate queen mating. Let's address this issue head on, with particular emphasis on the fact that the overall dynamics of queen mating has changed considerably during the past 20 years. In David Ives six-pack of one-act comedies titled All In The Timing, one of the six is called Words, Words, Words. It shows three monkeys (played by grown menand women) in a room filled with typewriters, acting out the adage that a room full of monkeys will eventually produce Hamlet given adequate time. It is funny, reminding me of a room filled with beekeepers trying to figure out how to raise perfectly mated queen bees. (There is grunting, yelling and screaming in both scenes).